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Edward R. Tufte
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The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Ed. 2nd Edition

by Edward R. Tufte (Author)

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The classic book on statistical graphics, charts, tables. Theory and practice in the design of data graphics, 250 illustrations of the best (and a few of the worst) statistical graphics, with detailed analysis of how to display data for precise, effective, quick analysis. Design of the high-resolution displays, small multiples. Editing and improving graphics. The data-ink ratio. Time-series, relational graphics, data maps, multivariate designs. Detection of graphical deception: design variation vs. data variation. Sources of deception. Aesthetics and data graphical displays. This is the second edition of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. This edition provides excellent color reproductions of the many graphics of William Playfair, adds color to other images, and includes all the changes and corrections accumulated during 17 printings of the first edition.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780961392147
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0961392147
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publisher
    Graphics Pr
  5. Publication date
    January 14, 1997
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    11 x 9 x 1 inches
  8. Print length
    197 pages
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About the author

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Edward R. Tufte

Edward R. Tufte

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Statistician/visualizer/artist Edward Tufte is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Statistics, and Computer Science at Yale University. He wrote, designed, and self-published 5 classic books on data visualization: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (1983, 2001), Envisioning Information (1990), Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative (1997), Beautiful Evidence (2006), Seeing with Fresh Eyes: Meaning, Space, Data, Truth (2020).

The New York Times described Tufte as the "Leonardo da Vinci of data," Bloomberg as the "Galileo of graphics," and Nature as “The world’s leading analyst of graphic information.”

Having completed his most recent book Seeing with Fresh Eyes: Meaning, Space, Data, Truth, ET is now constructing a 234-acre tree farm and sculpture park in northwest Connecticut, which will show his artworks and remain open space in perpetuity.

He founded Graphics Press, ET Modern Gallery/Studio, and Hogpen Hill Farms.

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
956 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this book to be an essential resource for data visualization, praising its comprehensive coverage of data graphics and historical examples. The book receives positive feedback for its readability, with one customer noting it's particularly valuable for new analysts, while another highlights its thought-provoking content. Customers appreciate its beautiful presentation and consider it a foundational read for professionals in the field.

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Information qualityReadabilityVisual displayVisual contentInsightGraphics qualityBeautyRelevance
62 customers mention "Information quality"59 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's information quality, finding it a great reference material that provides interesting ways to present data and serves as an important starting point for studying data visualization.

"This is a great reference book for data vis and has a lot of helpful information and suggestions...." Read more

"Excellent for thinking about data presentation." Read more

"Lots of great info in this book. Great first read and to keep coming back for refreshera." Read more

"...This is an approachable and informative book which will, as the title says, get you thinking about effective and clear ways to display data." Read more

44 customers mention "Readability"38 positive6 negative

Customers find the book readable and interesting, describing it as a valuable reference that is quick to read.

"This book is authoritative and clear, providing plenty of clear examples and evidence to support the author's claims...." Read more

"Very good book. I really enjoyed the quality of graphs and interpretion of them...." Read more

"Educational and entertaining If you create charts or work in a company that creates charts get this book and break away for the powerpoint numbness" Read more

"a very interesting and nice book and good for coffee time when you wanna have a break from the normal tedious statistics." Read more

40 customers mention "Visual display"35 positive5 negative

Customers praise the book's approach to data visualization, describing it as the king of visual data presentation and a must-have for data visualizers, with one customer noting that a picture is worth a thousand words.

"...He also presents a few very nice examples of graphics, mostly historical, and including some excellent data maps...." Read more

"...Mine came with an insert about PowerPoint presentations which was pretty funny...." Read more

"A great primer on how to visualize data in a way that is super approachable...." Read more

"Review: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information..." Read more

32 customers mention "Visual content"27 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the visual content of the book, praising its focus on information design and effective chart creation. One customer notes its systematic approach, while another highlights the importance of relational graphics in statistical analysis.

"Absolutely should be required reading for anyone in science, technology, policy, journalism or any profession demanding clear, concise and..." Read more

"Great context and explanations - gives you something to think about in data visualization build" Read more

"Tufte is an academic. Extremely intellegent. Well studied. Well spoken. The message is good. Very thought provoking. Applicable...." Read more

"...in the book, the spacing, the display of images is done is a very systematic way. The book will teach you some amazing things...." Read more

28 customers mention "Insight"26 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, finding it thought-provoking and effective at conveying principles.

"...a bit of a background in maths I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its principles, insights, and suggestions, and though it may not be everyone's cup of..." Read more

"This book is as amazing as it is beautifully illustrated and packed with useful tips. After reading it I've never looked the same way at charts...." Read more

"This book is authoritative and clear, providing plenty of clear examples and evidence to support the author's claims...." Read more

"...Even though the book was written over 30 years ago the principles still apply." Read more

23 customers mention "Graphics quality"19 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the graphics in the book, with one customer describing it as a beautiful compendium of varied graphical examples throughout history.

"Great graphs, great quality, great content. Was expecting more colored graphs but overall very happy with purchase." Read more

"It is an excellent book. The graphics are good and the condition is great. Would defiantly purchase it again in the future if the need arises." Read more

"This book is as amazing as it is beautifully illustrated and packed with useful tips. After reading it I've never looked the same way at charts...." Read more

"...reading, even if you are not into mathematics, but the pictures are wonderful." Read more

22 customers mention "Beauty"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book visually appealing, describing it as a visual genius, with one customer noting it as the most beautiful book about data visualization.

"beautiful book by a great author. If you are interested in the questions of readable representation of data, this book is for you." Read more

"It's beautiful and fascinating, but it's value lies in it's collection of innovative images, not in it's exposition, which is thin, and mostly..." Read more

"Teaches by demonstration. Beautiful...." Read more

"Book looks brand new and was on time at a fraction of the new book price" Read more

12 customers mention "Relevance"11 positive1 negative

Customers find the book relevant to their work, with one customer noting it provides nuts and bolts for meaningful business cases, while another mentions it serves as a foundational read for professionals in the field.

"...Well spoken. The message is good. Very thought provoking. Applicable. His four texts are very repetative...." Read more

"...For some this may be a seaside read, but for me it is a great coffee table companion...." Read more

"...The text is both an easy, quick, read and a compelling reference (when more detail on more abstract topics is needed)...." Read more

"...volume withstands as a pivotal critical point to develop legible and useful graphic information...." Read more

Should have read it before jumping into designing charts, plots and you name it
5 out of 5 stars
Should have read it before jumping into designing charts, plots and you name it
Bought this book as referred by a blog on UX topic. I’m working on visualization of huge collection of charts, graphs and plot (you name it) for oil & gas industry. Hence, i think after reading this book, it completely changed on how i will redesign my charts/plot... Highly recommended for UI/UX designer working on visualization of charts and so forth. Plus you may adapt the theory and insights from the author to be applied to other parts of your graphic design works or any communication materials
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Top reviews from the United States

  • ChrisBH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights, excellent principles, a bit mind-blowing :)
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I bought this book as it was recommended reading by an excel MVP (I'm on a bit of an excel learning binge) in addition to a few others by Stephen Few. Though the cover of this book was the most "bland" of them all I ended up reading the intro and the first chapter and becoming very interested in the ideas on the visual presentation of (quantitative) data, particularly the graphic showing the number of troops that Napoleon started and ended with on his campaign into Russia (I wasn't even sure of what multi-variate data was but I soon gained an appreciation for its proper presentation).

    As each chapter went on I became even more interested in the material that was presented as it seemed very logical and intuitive. I especially enjoyed Professor Tufte's guidelines on maximizing the "data-ink" and minimizing "non data-ink", and was amazed at how he applied these guidelines to graphs I have been using and teaching for many years, making them seem simpler and not as cluttered even if he suggested the "unthinkable" by leaving out gridlines or piece of the axes.

    I must admit that I am a bit skeptical about leaving out grid-lines when I produce graphs in excel but I appreciate that making them lighter really helps to de-clutter a graph. But I was totally blown away by how he simplified box and whisker diagrams into quartile plots and how he even removed portions of the vertical and horizontal axis making the graphs easier to read and somewhat more informative.

    I'd love to teach these principle to my students (I'm a private tutor) but I know that their in-school teachers would not allow their use as the syllabuses are somewhat antiquated (as are some of the teachers, their beliefs, and methods). They'd probably lose their minds about what Professor Tufte says about pie charts :-D, which, by the way is not to use them as there are better ways to present data. "The only thing worse than one pie chart is more pie charts".

    All in all, as someone who's not from a design or art background and with a bit of a background in maths I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its principles, insights, and suggestions, and though it may not be everyone's cup of tea I would readily suggest it to anyone who has more than a passing interest in graphics especially if they're presenting quantitative data. The principles are logical and intuitive, and I really do think that the presentation of graphics should (like anything) be taught well (eschew the decorations/ducks!)

    This book is invaluable and has awakened my thirst for more knowledge.

    I'm looking forward to reading more!
    53 people found this helpful
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  • N. Jewett
    5.0 out of 5 stars The authority on visualizing data
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This treasure opens up your ideas about graphs and tables. I found it fascinating.
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  • Stephen M. Marson
    5.0 out of 5 stars 1st edition compared to 2nd
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2002
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Years ago, I purchased the first edition of VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION. The second edition provides high-resolution color reproductions of the several graphics found in the first edition. In addition, corrections were made. However, to most readers/users, I doubt that the changes would be worthy of purchasing the second edition if one already owns the first edition.
    Edward R. Tufte is a noteworthy scholar and the presentation of the material presented in this book is awe-inspiring. Tufte has also compiled two other books that can be best described as quite remarkable. These additional books are entitled, ENVISIONING INFORMATION and VISUAL EXPLANATIONS. All three of these volumes are not merely supplemental textbooks; they are works of art.
    My intent was to use VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION as part of teaching my statistics course. Students, but mostly faculty, are overly impressed with inferential statistics. Graphics play an important role in the understanding and interpretation of statistical findings. Tufte makes this point unambiguously clear in his books.
    Two features of VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION are particularly salient in teaching a statistics course. First, the concept of normal distribution is wonderfully illustrated on page 140. Here the reader is reinforced with the notion that in the normal course of human events, cultural/social/behavioral/ psychological phenomena usually fall into the shape of a normal distribution. The constant appearance of this distribution borders on miraculous. Just as importantly, it is the basis for accurate predications in all areas of science. Tufte's illustration (page 140) speaks to this issue much more clearly than a one-hour lecture on the importance of the normal distribution. Which goes to show -- once again -- "a picture is worth a thousand words." Sadly, the illustration on page 140 is small and in black and white. I wish the second edition included a larger reproduction of this photo. A color presentation would have been helpful.
    Second, Tufte continues his unrelenting pattern to reinforce the importance and impact of illustrations in understanding complex concepts. In particular, page 176 demonstrates the impact of Napoleon's march to Moscow. The illustration is both profound and eerie. The reader is left with a feeling of death and pain for the foot soldiers...
    287 people found this helpful
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  • Michael
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but sometimes strange
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2012
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    It goes without saying that this one of the books you "must read" if you have anything to do with charts and graphs.

    The book is wonderful as a selective romp through a history of graphics, and is correct in constantly hammering home the point that clarity in graphics is key, and that the ratio of data-ink to non-data-ink should be high (an interesting measure).

    But significant parts of the book simply come across as eccentric, at best.

    Tufte advocates data on a world map that nearly stretches around the world twice (p99) -- a little overlap is useful, but this goes far overboard.

    He makes truly bizarre suggestions on using barely-visible line "offsets" and barely visible line-gaps to express quartile data (p124). I can barely make out the key information on his perfectly printed page, and can guarantee that any reproduction either by overhead projector or by Xerox would render his "preferred form" utterly useless. This section alone makes me question his judgment throughout the rest of the book.

    And then his section on sparklines (pp 172-174) seems to be a jarring bit of self-promotion. He extolls their virtues, but I don't recall ever coming across them in print or on the web -- they just don't seem useful enough to warrant three enthusiastic pages in this book.

    In sum, I'd say the main value in this book is as a beautiful compendium of varied graphical examples throughout history. In contrast, Tufte's analysis and recommendations seem overly wordy and at times misguided. I was honestly surprised -- from such a famous book, I was truly expecting more.
    11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • @Maxx_Matt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Meraviglioso, grafica, composizione e contenuti. Come ogni libro di Tufte.
    Reviewed in Italy on March 4, 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Meraviglioso, grafica, composizione e contenuti. Come ogni libro di Tufte. Lo consiglio a tutti gli appassionati ( e non ) del genere.
    Report
  • Willy Van den Driessche
    5.0 out of 5 stars What can I say ? Excellent !
    Reviewed in France on December 3, 2012
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The author takes us with him on a journey through the display of "statistical graphs". I starts a little bit slowly but then the author develops some very commonsense principles that let you determine if you are on the right track. He then goes on and on and even manages to optimize existing graphs such as a simple scatter plot. I highly recommend this to any one who is serious about representing information in graphs.
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  • chillipadi
    1.0 out of 5 stars Excellent delivery time & communication, but faulty product (see pics)
    Reviewed in Australia on November 30, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I was impressed by the delivery time and communications by the seller, but the (soft-back) book had come apart from the book's spine.

    I was left quite disappointed when I opened the package as the spine of the book had come off. This is a purchase for work-related projects and I was really looking forward to it. I would recommend others to get the hardback copy instead to avoid such issues, but limited funds didn't allow me to purchase or repurchase.

    The 1 star is for the faulty item, but I would give 5 stars for delivery & seller communication.
    Customer image
    chillipadi
    1.0 out of 5 stars
    Excellent delivery time & communication, but faulty product (see pics)

    Reviewed in Australia on November 30, 2020
    I was impressed by the delivery time and communications by the seller, but the (soft-back) book had come apart from the book's spine.

    I was left quite disappointed when I opened the package as the spine of the book had come off. This is a purchase for work-related projects and I was really looking forward to it. I would recommend others to get the hardback copy instead to avoid such issues, but limited funds didn't allow me to purchase or repurchase.

    The 1 star is for the faulty item, but I would give 5 stars for delivery & seller communication.
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  • 1学生
    5.0 out of 5 stars 状態良好
    Reviewed in Japan on October 9, 2013
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    発送も早く、状態もとても良好でした。
    ただ、第二版には、数種類あるようで、こちらは、少し古いバージョンでした。
    また、利用したいと思います。
    Report
  • Walter
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imperdivel para quem tem de apresentar dados
    Reviewed in Brazil on January 9, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    O livro é uma referência para quem trabalha com análise e apresentação visual de grandes volumes de dados. Como apresentar em forma honesta e atrativa resumo de dados.
    Report