For the routine analysis you want to do, you might be content with tables, bar charts, and scatter plots, but we've already seen how more specialized types of visualizations can suit certain situations. A basic visualization, such as points on a graph, may adequately represent the core information you wish to convey, but there is a lot more to visualization than core properties such as x- and y-coordinates. The use of color is important, as is the addition of reference lines and points. Try to be a communicator, not just a data analyst, and ensure that you use (and know how to use) all the elements available to you to turn a visualization into a story that makes instant sense to the target audience you have in mind. That can be a challenging objective, but always aim for it.

In Chapter 2, Visualize This!, we looked at some of the most common visualization techniques. In this chapter, you will learn how to use additional visualization types provided...