[thelist] is Tufte worth buying?

[Luther, Ron]

Joel D Canfield asked about Tufte ...

>>If the company would spring for the fifty bucks, is reading Tufte going
>>to help me hone my skills in visual presentation of data via web tools?


Hi Joel,

I have (and really enjoyed) the 1st edition of Tufte's "The Visual Display 
of Quantitative Information":
http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_vdqi

I used to keep it in my desk as a reference back when I was doing a lot 
of statistical analysis and presentation work.

It's a good book and a fun book.

Is it going to help you vis-à-vis 'presentation of data via web tools'? 
I would guess not ... IIRC I think it may be more 'print' oriented in 
that (at least some of) the examples really depend on 'pixel precise' 
sizing and scaling. [I don't think the famous 'rail road time chart' 
would work very well in a collapsible "liquid" design.]

Again ... the ideas are sound ... but the translation to the web would 
be up to you.


HTH,

RonL.