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There is a very interesting discussion going on that Jorge Camoes started on his blog, Charts.  The discussion is in regards to Edward Tufte principals and business charts or data visualizations.  From that post, Jon Peltier chimed in and provided his insights.  These two discussions are centered on implementing Tufte’s design principals in the corporate [business] sector. 

I am introducing a third piece to the discussion that I think may help.  In reading two of Stephen Few’s books, I’ve seen references to Tufte’s work, which dates back to the 80s.  Personally, I think Tufte’s book, TVDoQI is one of the most influential books I have on data visualization.  I think Stephen’s upcoming book may write a new chapter on data visualization for analysis that will help bridge the gap between theory and practice in the business world.  I would be willing to bet that this book will be the next staple in the library of anyone involved in data visualization and analysis.

What I really enjoy about Few’s books is that they are very applicable to the business world and present data in a simple and intuitive way.  I first got wind of this book back in November of 2007, when Stephen and I had a brief conversation.  Ever since that Friday in November, I have been anxious to see it released.  The posts by Jon and Jorge, along with a tweet via Twitter reminded me that the release date should be near.

Right now you can pre-order his new hardcover book on Amazon for $29. Its release date is scheduled for 4/1/2009.  I personally think it will be worth every penny.

Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis

Book Description per Amazon:

"This companion to Show Me the Numbers teaches the fundamental principles and practices of quantitative data analysis. Employing a methodology that is primarily learning by example and “thinking with our eyes,” this manual features graphs and practical analytical techniques that can be applied to a broad range of data analysis tools—including the most commonly used Microsoft Excel. This approach is particularly valuable to those who need to make sense of quantitative business data by discerning meaningful patterns, trends, relationships, and exceptions that reveal business performance, potential problems and opportunities, and hints about the future. It provides practical skills that are useful to managers at all levels and to those interested in keeping a keen eye on their business." [Amazon]

What do you think?  Is this book going to be worth the hype or another book that’ll soon be forgotten?

Other books worth a look by Stephen Few:

1. Show Me The Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten, Stephen Few
2. Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data, Stephen Few

There are referral links within this post to Amazon. However, there is no endorsement from Stephen Few for this post or any reference to his books.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 7:30 am and is filed under Analytics, Excel, Statistics, Tony, Visualization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.