Visualizations are quite useful as a means of extracting information from a dataset. For example, with a bar graph it's very easy to distinguish the value distribution, compared to looking at the values in a table. Of course, as we have seen earlier in this book, they can be used to study patterns in the dataset that would otherwise be quite difficult to identify. Furthermore, they can be used to help explain a dataset to an unfamiliar party. If included in a blog post, for example, they can boost reader interest levels and be used to break up blocks of text.

When thinking about interactive visualizations, the benefits are similar to static visualizations, but enhanced because they allow for active exploration on the viewer's part. Not only do they allow the viewer to answer questions they may have about the data, they also think of new questions while exploring. This can benefit a separate party such as a blog reader or co-worker, but also a creator, as it allows...