Edward Tufte is brilliant. His books, including this one, are artwork disguised as a textbook. The purpose of all three is to explain both good and bad ways of explaining information but they are so much more than that. There is a rich history interwoven in the books' pages. The examples are so interesting that I found myself learning more than just how to convey information. For example, one of the best graphics for conveying information ever made is a chart/map tracking Napoleon Bonaparte's army's march across Europe which is so impressive it's difficult to describe. The graph includes information about army size, location and timeline in a very readable, straightforwd and yet still beautiful way. I was fortunate enough to attend one of his seminars after I was already a fan (my work paid for it and I got to keep the books!) which delves into all of his texts. I highly recommend it because he synthesizes the information beautifully and succinctly and you get all of his books and publications in print. If you can't make the seminar (no, I do not get any kickbacks, promise) the books are rather complex but they are absolutely stunning and make fascinating reading.