Foreword to First Edition

With each passing year data becomes more important to the world, as does the ability to compute on this growing abundance of data. When deciding how to interact with data, most people make a decision between R and Python. This does not reflect a language war, but rather a luxury of choice where data scientists and engineers can work in the language with which they feel most comfortable. These tools make it possible for everyone to work with data for machine learning and statistical analysis. That is why I am happy to see what I started with R for Everyone extended to Python with Pandas for Everyone.

I first met Dan Chen when he stumbled into the “Introduction to Data Science” course while working toward a master’s in public health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He was part of a cohort of MPH students who cross-registered into the graduate school course and quickly developed a knack for data science, embracing statistical learning and reproducibility. By the end of the semester he was devoted to, and evangelizing, the merits of data science.

This coincided with the rise of Pandas, improving Python’s use as a tool for data science and enabling engineers already familiar with the language to use it for data science as well. This fortuitous timing meant Dan developed into a true multilingual data scientist, mastering both R and Pandas. This puts him in a great position to reach different audiences, as shown by his frequent and popular talks at both R and Python conferences and meetups. His enthusiasm and knowledge shine through and resonate in everything he does, from educating new users to building Python libraries. Along the way he fully embraces the ethos of the open-source movement.

As the name implies, this book is meant for everyone who wants to use Python for data science, whether they are veteran Python users, experienced programmers, statisticians, or entirely new to the field. For people brand new to Python the book contains a collection of appendixes for getting started with the language and for installing both Python and Pandas, and it covers the whole analysis pipeline, including reading data, visualization, data manipulation, modeling, and machine learning.

Pandas for Everyone is a tour of data science through the lens of Python, and Dan Chen is perfectly suited to guide that tour. His mixture of academic and industry experience lends valuable insights into the analytics process and how Pandas should be used to greatest effect. All this combines to make for an enjoyable and informative read for everyone.

–Jared Lander, series editor