A Visual Guide to Stata Graphics details Stata's graphics capabilities in an easy-to-use format. Using step-by-step examples, the author demonstrates the most efficient methods to create even the most complicated graphs. Virtually every page contains full-color examples of Stata graphs, with most pages showing three graphs. Along with each graph is the command that produced it, a brief description, and the name of its associated files. These files can be downloaded from the Stata Web site.

The first chapter provides an excellent introduction to Stata graphics and presents tips for using the book effectively. Each available type of graph is discussed in its own chapter: twoway graphs, scatterplot matrix graphs, bar graphs, box plots, dot plots, and pie graphs. The book discusses the most commonly used options, followed by a chapter discussing options that are available to all graphs. The final chapter discusses options that change the style of graph elements, such as color, line pattern, and text size. The appendix gives an overview of several topics, such as statistical graph commands, saving and combining graphs, common mistakes, and schemes.