Rating: 
Summary: Never look at a graphic the same way
Review: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information is a rather dry title for what turns out to be a supremely interesting and innovative study of how graphics can explain quantitative information. Tufte is the pre-eminent scholar of graphical representation and this book is a clear example of why. The book outlines Tufte's theories for better displaying data in graphical forms. According to Tufte's well-argued point of view, simpler is often better--good graphics are able to convey multiple levels of information with minimal ink. He rails against unnecessary "chartjunk" which merely takes up space without conveying any information and he is quick to note that "pretty" graphics are often the least informative. Tufte's theories for achieving graphical success are presented in a straightforward manner and are always highlighted by examples. Some of the most interesting sections of the book show how Tufte would transform an otherwise ordinary graphic into a more powerful one--these sections clearly illustrate Tufte's theories and enable the reader to learn from the mistakes of other designers. Tufte's book is extremely well researched and he consistently uses graphics from various time periods to highlight the points of his argument and to illustrate the good and bad of graphic design. He writes quite passionately about his "favorite" graphic (Charles Minard's time series map of Napoleon's march into Russia) and is equally passionate about exposing the lack of data within bad graphics (he calls one "the worst graphic ever to find its way into print"). Tufte is a clear and compact writer and is very good at explaining complex ideas both in words and in graphical form. While the book sounds very academic, it is certainly accessible to the general reader. This is a must read for graphic designers and those who seek to present quantitative information successfully (e.g. scientists, statisticians, students, businesspeople, etc.). Tufte's ideas are simple and broad enough to translate into a wide range of graphical areas--readers will be able to conceptualize and present data much more effectively after reading this book. Readers will also have a much sharper eye when viewing other's graphics. In a time when computer programs have largely automated graph-making (usually with bad results), Tufte's book is a helpful guide to making graphs and charts as effective and informative as they can be.
Rating: 
Summary: Overhyped garbage with very little useful information
Review: Tufte is the authority on graphs and the visual display of information. I read rave after rave about this guy on different websites. He taught at Yale and all that. Well, his books is the pits and is virtually worthless. Dont waste your time on this garbage. If you have any common sense, its more valuable than anything you'll read in this book. The only point I learned from this book is that Ivy league degrees don't guarantee quality.
Rating:
Summary: Worth its weight in gold.
Review: I was genuinely impressed by both the quality and richness of this and Edward Tufte's two subsequent books (Envisioning Information and Visual Explanations). Together, these three beautifully presented volumes are by far the best discussion of graphical design principles that I have come across to date. Tufte presents potent examples that graphical integrity and clarity need not result in oversimplistic charts, graphs and displays. This is not a "how-to" book, but an intelligent and thought provoking analysis of opportunities in displaying and explaining data and events.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely superb, lucid, educative feel good book
Review: It is difficult to find different words for each of the three books in the serious. They all share the same kind of quality and the different aspects are minor points. They are all three outstanding. The only problem they have, how can we mere mortals live up to it or even come only close.
Rating:
Summary: a great book for aficionados of this stuff
Review: well, it is an esoteric topic, to say the least.
But, this is the "Classic Work" in the field of presenting data, so if that is your thing, you should have this book
Rating:
Summary: Everything is perfect in this book, including paper quality.
Review: We offered this book to friends who share with us the artistic beauty of scientific drawing. Like for software programming, we believe in aesthetics beauty in scientific work. This book demonstrates it with simplicity and efficiency.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, read more
Review: Simply Enjoyable, and not within the Context of a book on Graphical Statistical Analysis(This is a great Work at any scale). Being a Software Engineer and looking to brush up on my data presentation skills, I seached by dumb luck and found this book. When the book arrived, I was not as excited as I am after having read it because at first glance it did not appear as though there was much going on in terms of the here and now. But as I began to read, I was amazed by the vivid history and development of methodologies. The book is facinating and enjoyable, well written and easily understood.
I luckily found Mr. Tufte and will be reading other works in his collection.
Rating:
Summary: 1st edition compared to 2nd
Review: Years ago, I purchased the first edition of VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION. The second edition provides high-resolution color reproductions of the several graphics found in the first edition. In addition, corrections were made. However, to most readers/users, I doubt that the changes would be worthy of purchasing the second edition if one already owns the first edition. Edward R. Tufte is a noteworthy scholar and the presentation of the material presented in this book is awe-inspiring. Tufte has also compiled two other books that can be best described as quite remarkable. These additional books are entitled, ENVISIONING INFORMATION and VISUAL EXPLANATIONS. All three of these volumes are not merely supplemental textbooks; they are works of art. My intent was to use VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION as part of teaching my statistics course. Students, but mostly faculty, are overly impressed with inferential statistics. Graphics play an important role in the understanding and interpretation of statistical findings. Tufte makes this point unambiguously clear in his books. Two features of VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION are particularly salient in teaching a statistics course. First, the concept of normal distribution is wonderfully illustrated on page 140. Here the reader is reinforced with the notion that in the normal course of human events, cultural/social/behavioral/ psychological phenomena usually fall into the shape of a normal distribution. The constant appearance of this distribution borders on miraculous. Just as importantly, it is the basis for accurate predications in all areas of science. Tufte's illustration (page 140) speaks to this issue much more clearly than a one-hour lecture on the importance of the normal distribution. Which goes to show -- once again -- "a picture is worth a thousand words." Sadly, the illustration on page 140 is small and in black and white. I wish the second edition included a larger reproduction of this photo. A color presentation would have been helpful. Second, Tufte continues his unrelenting pattern to reinforce the importance and impact of illustrations in understanding complex concepts. In particular, page 176 demonstrates the impact of Napoleon's march to Moscow. The illustration is both profound and eerie. The reader is left with a feeling of death and pain for the foot soldiers...
Rating:
Summary: Superbly thought provoking
Review: I divide my graphics work into two categories: BT (Before Tufte) and AT (After Tufte). I rarely acknowledge any involvement of a publication from those dark BT days. Tufte's masterful and dead-on takes about how to communicate statistical and quantitative data challenges standard assumptions about developing graphical information and reveals, though it is not his stated intention, the weakness of so many graphics software packages. Just look at his collection of chartjunk and "ducks" (his term for hideous graphics) to see how all the whistles and bells available to us via computer graphics programs actually obfuscate the interpretation of visual information. By the time you read how much ink and paper are wasted by created bad graphics, you should be a convert. And if you are ever lucky enough to have the chance to attend one of Tufte's seminars, pawn your PC if that's what it takes.
Rating:
Summary: Different from my usual tastes
Review: Unlike many books I've read, this book is worth owning as a reference. In many ways, Tufte strikes a masterful balance between detail and abstraction. Furthermore I was staggered by Tufte's breadth of subject. With case studies as varied as a cholera outbreak, a Challenger explosion, and computer simulation of a thunderstorm, there's something for everyone. In a nutshell, the book was worth reading for a single (now obvious) concept--by emphasizing everything, you emphasize nothing.
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