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CHOICE Review

Edward Tufte first burst into the awareness of graphic designers several years ago with The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (CH, Nov'83). Now, with this new book, he expands on the themes he raised there, and does so in a colorful (both verbally and visually speaking) and accessible fashion. Tufte argues against what he terms "chart junk"--the employing of clever visuals to attract a reader while at the same time sacrificing or distorting the information presented. He stresses repeatedly that there is more creativity at work in portraying complex data sincerely and succinctly; that the designer's role should be one of revealing interrelationships, not distracting the viewer with superficial stylizations. Tufte backs up his arguments with more than 100 examples illustrated, for the most part, in full color. He draws on work spanning four centuries and several continents. The book, produced by Graphics Press, which Tufte had a part in founding, is beautifully designed. There is an understated elegance to the format that, while affording ample room for the illustrations of intricate diagrams, never seems boastful or self-possessed. Every US design firm should include this book in its library. Recommended for college and university libraries. -S. Skaggs, University of Louisville