San Francisco, CA, September 20, 2011—Archaeologists use the R programming language to track the spread of ancient civilizations, drug companies use it to discover which medications are safe and effective, and actuaries use it to assess financial risks and keep economies running smoothly. R may have a tiny name, but it is a powerful tool for these and countless other industries and individuals. With the release of Norman Matloff's The Art of R Programming (No Starch Press, October 2011, 400 pp., $39.95, ISBN 9781593273842), No Starch Press makes it easier than ever for readers to harness this multifunctional language.

The Art of R Programming takes readers on a guided tour of software development with R, from basic types and data structures to advanced topics like closures, recursion, and anonymous functions. No statistical knowledge is required, and even hobbyist programmers will find the book accessible.

"Most people who use R do so in sort of a hodge-podge way—plot a graph here, calculate a standard deviation there," said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "At last we have this unique book that treats R like a real programming language rather than a glorified calculator."

Along the way, readers learn about functional and object-oriented programming, and how to run mathematical simulations and rearrange complex data into simpler, more useful formats. They also learn how to:

• Create artful graphs to visualize complex data sets and functions
• Write more efficient code using parallel R and vectorization
• Interface R with C/C++ and Python for increased speed and functionality
• Find and install new R packages for text analysis, image manipulation, and more
• Squash annoying bugs with advanced debugging techniques

Whether readers are designing aircraft, forecasting the weather, or just taming some data, The Art of R Programming is the must-have guide to harnessing the power of statistical computing with R.