«Envisioning Information»(Repost)

A remarkable range of examples for the idea of visual thinking, with beautifully printed pages. A real treat for all who reason and learn by means of images. – Rudolf Arnheim

Make the ideas you are trying to convey worthy of the eye to behold

REVIEW:
"Envisioning Information" by Edward Tufte further fleshes out and expands the work he has done on presenting information. This volume is best suited for designers of complex information such as maps or schedules. As with his other books, it is richly illustrated with many colorful examples of well and poorly designed information displays.
This is a good book to get one thinking about information displays, but putting them into practice is more challenging. Although much of what Tufte criticizes in displays could be considered "nitpicking," his points do have merit, albeit very difficult to put into practice with one's own work that does not model his examples. Personally, I do not agree with all of his criticisms as what is considered ideal, is to an extent, subjective.

There are also some personal opinions that he could have left out of the book. For example, the author uses the example of Digton rock to show how people viewing the rock had various perceptions (p. 73). Wonderful. However, from there he throws in his mockery by dismissing its origin as being anything other than Native-American. He goes on to state, "such logic places the Vikings far inland, deep into what is now West Virginia and Ohio" and this is a "scholarship of wishful thinking." Personally, I think it is more a scholarship of wishful thinking to pick one idea and rule out any other possibility. Again, this opinion has nothing to do with information displays, and does not help the reader learn about presenting material.