In the field of statistics, Edward Tufte is certainly an icon. Aside from being a highly-revered American statistician, he has also made his mark in the academic community as a professor emeritus of political science, computer science and statistics at the Yale University. His writings on information and expertise in data visualization made him earn the respect of other great academic names. If you want to learn more about Tufte’s way of thinking, here is a list of books that will certainly be informative for you.
Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
Published in 1997, this book focuses on design strategies such as the proper arrangement in space and time of images, words and numbers. This book also provides a thorough explanation on the logic of quantitative evidence. Despite being met by a universally uncritical reception, this book and its successor sold approximately 200,000 copies in just ten years. The book also helps the reader come up with an analysis of 200 graphic design examples. Whether you will consider Tufte’s principles as a shock or as a revelation, you will definitely be grateful for the pieces of information that Tufte brings to your fold.
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within
This book will definitely change the way you think about presenting information. In addition, the book has also been known for introducing jargons and terms that have not been part of typical human vocabulary. This book challenges the notion that slidewares are an effective medium of presenting information and stimulating analytical discussions. These Powerpoint presentations usually filled with lists and bullet points actually dampen critical thinking and verbal and spatial reasoning.
Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis
If you want to learn more about simple and practical means on exploring and interpreting quantitative data, this book will be your perfect guide. The graphical techniques featured in this book will truly be of great help to you. Furthermore, these techniques can also be utilized in a wide range of data analysis tools. When you are able to make sense of quantitative data, you can arrive at well-informed decisions. The patterns and trends you will be able to detect will help you identify potential problems and opportunities. Those who want to understand what is really going on in their business should definitely read this book.
Envisioning Information
This book undeniably gives justice to Tufte’s reputation as a champion of effective and efficient techniques of presenting information. If you expect Tufte books to be an informative treat for you, Envisioning Information will never disappoint you. You will surely love the vivid examples filling up each page. This is surely the most design-oriented among all of Tufte’s books. After reading this book, you will learn how to present and convey information beyond the usual or traditional flatlands of both paper and computer screen. Through Envisioning Information, Tufte illustrates the fundamental principles of information displays through macro and micro designs.
Beautiful Evidence
This Tufte masterpiece focuses on analytical design. Images, presentations and graphics ranging from Powerpoint to sculptures are critically analyzed by Tufte in Beautiful Evidence based on principles and guidelines. The critical analysis of each design will also reveal which characteristics would make the design work for a specific purpose. This book is definitely an effective instrument in highlighting issues concerning information design. If you are expecting a solid coherent read with Beautiful Evidence, you will surely be frustrated. Beautiful Evidence is more of a collection of information. You will also be interested in the strange switches of topics.
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
If Tufte is the first name that would pop out of your head when it comes to information design, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information would also be the premier title that would equate the expertise of Tufte. One of the greatest advantages of this book is its balance of theoretical and practical discussion on the design of data graphics. You can also expect to learn how to display data for precise, effective and quick analysis. It is no wonder that this book has been described by Scientific American as a ‘work of art’. Amazon price $29.01. This book can even be considered as the Strunk & White of visual design. If you intend to master the art of understanding and depicting numerical data in a graphic presentation, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information is the most fitting reference.
