5 comments about The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition.

1. Edward Tufte's The Visual Display of Quantitative Information is sheer genius - he lays out the principles of how information should be portrayed graphically, with rules like "the number of information-carrying (variable) dimensions should not exceed the number of dimensions in the data." It's like reading The Art of War, except for data analysis.



2. I eagerly anticipated reading this book. I frequently design data visualizations for my job as a software engineer, and I have a deep love for effective graphs. I love to read about different strategies for representing information visually, and I know that Tufte's work in this area is very highly regarded.
   
   I was completely astounded at how poorly argued this book is, how bizarre its recommendations can be, and how disdainful the author feels about any attempt to make graphs attractive. I know these are bold allegations against such a highly regarded work, so let me be specific.
   
   Tufte argues in favor of graphic minimalism. He doesn't use the word "minimalism", but his principles include "erase non-data-ink, within reason" and "erase redundant data-ink, within reason." This seems reasonable on face -- who would argue in favor of redundancy? -- but he applies this in absurd ways. For example, the graph he uses to explain the idea of "redundant data-ink" is a bar chart with a single vertical bar on it, and a number on top of the bar. He writes:
   
   "[this chart] unambiguously locates the altitude in six separate ways (any five of the six can be erased and the sixth will still indicate the height): as the (1) height of the left line, (2) height of the shading, (3) height of the right line, (4) position of the top horizontal line, (5) position (not content) of the number at the bar's top, and (6) the number itself. That is more ways than are needed."
   
   I stopped for a second when I read this; surely Dr. Tufte is not arguing that a bar chart is inherently ambiguous because the bars are both outlined *and* filled, is he? But in case there was any question, he reinforces this concept a few pages later, when he takes a different bar chart and removes all of those "redundant" lines, and ends up with something truly unintelligible. Of this peculiar result he writes "The data graphical arithmetic looks like this--the original design equals the erased part plus the good part." I wish I could include the illustration in this review, because with words alone I simply cannot communicate how much worse Tufte's revision of this graphic is.
   
   There are so many examples of this, but I will give just one more. At the beginning of Chapter 6, Tufte revisits the traditional box plot and again finds that it "can be mostly erased without loss of information." After offering several iterations of his minimalistic approach, he settles on a version which is just astoundingly bad. To represent the five data points (quartiles) Tufte draws a single line that is offset by a *miniscule* amount between the 25th and 75th percentiles, and has a *miniscule* break at the median. It is not hyperbole to say that when my eyes are 18 inches away from this graphic, the quartiles can barely be seen at all; it looks like he just drew a straight line. About this Tufte says "This design is the preferred form of the quartile plot. It uses the ink effectively and looks good."
   
   These are examples of a larger trend throughout the book, which is to state general principles without much support, and then to judge graphs (and people's intelligence) by how well they adhere to those principles. Here is an example. In Chapter 3, Tufte argues that "relational" graphs -- graphs that show the relationship between two or more variables -- are more sophisticated than time-series or map-based graphs. I will include Tufte's entire analysis in support of this principle, because it will readily fit into this box:
   
   "In order to make comparisons among a variety of newspapers, magazines, scientific journals, and books, I have compiled a rough measure of graphical sophistication--the share of a publication's graphics that are *relational*. Such a design links two or more variables but is not a time-series or a map. Relational graphics are essential to competent statistical analysis since they confront statements about cause and effect with evidence, showing how one variable affects another."
   
   My first reaction (and I hope yours) to this was to note that relational graphs show how one variable is *correlated* with another, and cannot by themselves show cause and effect (we can thank statistics for an endless supply of "information" about what supposedly causes cancer). But besides that is just the overwhelming lack of support for the idea that we can judge the sophistication of a publication on what percentage of its graphs are relational. But that's exactly what Tufte proceeds to do; he trots out a table of publications from different countries and their "sophistication percentages", and uses it to achieve some conclusion that the Japanese are much smarter than anybody else, and the Americans stupider.
   
   Another example of an unsupported principle: that more information is better. Throughout the book Tufte is consistently impressed when someone has discovered a way to cram more bits of information into the same graphic. For example, from page 20: "The most extensive data maps, such as the cancer atlas and the count of the galaxies, place millions of bits of information on a single page before our eyes. No other method for the display of statistical information is so powerful." This attitude inspires the reader to include as much information as they possibly can in their graphs. But Tufte never stops to ask the question: is there a point when more information just becomes noise? To quote Google documentation about their charts API: "Take care not to overestimate the number of data points required for a chart. For example, to show how popular chocolate ice cream was over the last ten years, aggregating search queries for each day would result in more than 3600 values. It would not make any sense to plot a graph at this granularity."
   
   The major credit to Tufte's book is that he includes many examples of creatively designed graphs, many of them historical. He is particularly taken with a diagram of Napoleon's ill-fated attack on Moscow, which is undoubtedly a very engaging and effective graphic. But this makes Tufte's minimalistic recommendations all the more puzzling. He seems to completely miss that almost none of the historical work he admires follows the principles he spends the rest of the book advancing. Most of them use grid lines (which he hates; they are non-data-ink) and they invest effort into being attractive (which he sees as a dumbing down of graphs; he calls any visual flare "chartjunk.").
   
   Tufte's principles totally ignore the primary purpose of graphs, which is to show a data set's *patterns* (or lack thereof) to humans. This is confounding, because many of the examples he cites do this brilliantly. His very first example, Anscombe's quartet (you can Google for it) is a fantastic example of how graphs show patterns even when basic statistical summaries do not. His Napoleon example shows the pattern of how the size of Napoleon's army was so severely diminished over time and space, and the points at which it suffered its greatest casualties. But Tufte seems to completely miss the point. Though his examples repeatedly show patterns, Tufte never talks about patterns at all. About the Napoleon example, Tufte writes "Minard's graphic tells a rich, coherent story with its multivariate data, for more enlightening than just a single number bouncing along over time. *Six* variables are plotted: the six of the army, its location on a two-dimensional surface, direction of the army's movement, and temperature on various dates during the retreat from Moscow." Tufte again is primarily impressed with the amount of data and the number of dimensions.
   
   Principles like "remove non-data ink" and "forgo chartjunk" treat graphs as though they are a form of compression, and treat "ink" as a scarce resource. The truth is that the primary goal of a graph is to communicate data to a human, and humans respond to design and polish (if they did not, there would not be so many colors, icons, boxes, visual effects, etc. on the page you are viewing right now). Design can communicate structure. Visual weight can help draw the eye to the part of the graph that is most significant. Polish can make a graph visually appealing enough to look at in the first place. Tufte has no appreciation for these ideas: "Chartjunk does not achieve the goals of its propagators. The overwhelming fact of data graphics is that they stand or fall on their content, gracefully displayed. Graphics do not become attractive and interesting through the addition of ornamental hatching and false perspective to a few bars." This attitude puts Tufte in the company of usability expert Jakob Nielsen, who probably has good points to make, but when you visit his bland and text-heavy website [...] are you really inspired to spend time there reading?
   
   This review is getting too long, so I can only just briefly state some more of my numerous problems with this book: he makes unsupported indictments against moire (patterns of lines or dots used to fill in regions), he spends almost no time talking about color, COLOR! (most of what he does say is negative -- he prefers grayscale), he rails against the idea of making graphs attractive or readily-understandable (he says that if the graph looks boring it's because you chose the wrong numbers), many of the graphs he cites are confusing or under-explained.
   
   I don't know how to explain the high regard for this book. There are lots of beautiful graphs, to be sure, but most of them are not Tufte's and don't follow his principles. I am disappointed in what I expected to be a great book.



3. Edward Tufte prides himself on making very complex information accessible. What he doesn't understand is that the average person can not make sense of convoluted charts and graphs. Not everyone can read 5 pt type and overlapping hairline strokes, making his examples successfully unsuccessful.
   
   Tufte's choice of words clearly demonstrates his lack of interest in the "'average' consumer." His writing is overly complicated, much too proud and irrelevant. Intimidating is the antithesis of accessible. "Excessive" immediately comes to mind.
   
   If you are looking for a book from which to copy a few sentences to impress your boss, this book is great. If you are looking for insight into explaining very complex information to a very wide group of people, then steer clear.
   
   Thoroughly disappointed.
   
   PS - Don't attend his workshops. You may as well go on a "team-building retreat."



4. Perhaps the single most accessible book on data visualizations. You are given a tour of the history of visualizations, the seminal contributions of people such as Playfair, Tukey, and others, a rogues' gallery of sorts of awful visualizations, a peek into small-multiples visualizations, and an exposition of the principles of good graphic design and visualizations. A must-have book for anyone interested in good data visualizations.
   
   Tufte's contention is that a lack of adequate knowledge and expertise and a mistaken notion about numbers are to blame for bad visualizations. The principles of good visualizations, on the other hand, are few and simple. The book is all about exposing bad examples and enunciating these good principles, beautifully illustrated with examples, and printed on excellent quality paper.
   
   Suggested Reading:
   -----------------
   Supplement this excellent book with at least the following, if you are interested in digging deeper into the area of data visualizations:
   - Information Visualization, Second Edition: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies)
   - Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data
   
   
   The rest of the review can be best told, in my opinion, through quotes from the book:
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   "The theory of the visual display of quantitative information consists of principles that generate design options... The principles should not be applied rigidly or in a peevish spirit... and it is better to violate any principle than to place graceless or inelegant marks on paper. Most principles of design should be greeted with some skepticism." [page 191]
   
   While seemingly a trivial matter, the issue of the size of charts, whether they should be tall or horizontal, Tufte states that "Graphics should tend toward the horizontal, greater in length than height..." and "Many graphics plot, in essence (cause and effect) and a longer horizontal helps to elaborate the workings of the causal variable in more detail." [pages 186, 187]
   
   Time-series displays are at their best for big data sets with real variability. [page 30]
   
   Chapter 2, "Graphical Identity" Is a stunning collection of graphs that distort, lie, deceive, and exhibit all manners of skills other than those required for data visualizations.
   "Much of twentieth-century thinking about statistical graphics has been preoccupied with the question of how some amateurish chart might fool the naive viewer. ... At the core of the preoccupation with deceptive graphics was the assumption that data graphics were mainly devices for showing the obvious to the ignorant. ... The assumption led down two fruitless paths in the graphically barren years from 1930 to 1970: First, that graphics had to be "alive", "communicatively dynamic," overdecorated and exaggerated.. Second, that the main task of graphical analysis was to detect and denounce deception." [page 53]
   
   "A graphic does not distort if the visual representation of the data is consistent with the numerical representation." [page 55]
   Which leads to his definition of the term, "Lie Factor", which he defines as the "size of the effect shown in graphic" divided by "size of effect in chart".
   
   "Another way to confuse data variation with design variation is to use areas to show one-dimensional data" [page 69]
   An example cited is the depiction of "the rate of inflation", for which, "graphs show currency shrinking on two dimensions, even though the value of money is one-dimensional." [page 70]
   
   A very important observation quoted in Chapter 3 comes from Howard Weiner - "Perhaps the reason is an increase in the perceived need for graphs ... without a concomitant increase in training in their construction." [page 79]
   Tufte elaborates: "Nearly all those who produce graphics for mass publication are trained exclusively in the fine arts and have had little experience with the analysis of data. ..." "... many graphic artists believe that statistics are boring and tedious. It then follows that decorated graphics must pep up, animate, and all too often exaggerate what evidence there is in the data." [page 79]
   And "The doctrine of boring data serves political ends, helping to advance certain interests over others in bureaucratic struggles for control of a publication's resources. ... as the art bureaucracy grows, style replaces content. And the word people, having lost space in the publication to data decorators, console themselves... " [page 80]
   
   Tufte defines "data-ink" in Ch 4 ("Theory of Data Graphics") as "the non-erasable core of a graphic, the non-redundant ink arranged in response to variations in the numbers represented
   Data-ink ration = data-ink / total ink used to print the graphic" [page 93]
   So, it should not come as a surprise, when Tufte takes a single bar with a value label at the top of the bar, and states that "the labeled, shaded bar of the bar chart, for example, unambiguously locates the altitude in size separate ways." [page 96].
   
   Chapter 5 - "Charkjunk: Vibrations, Grids, and Ducks" is perhaps the most humorous chapter, as the title itself suggests. A quote from Johnathan Swift, indicting 17th-century cartographers, says it all - "With save pictures fill their gaps, And o'er unhabitable downs, Place elephants for want of towns." [page ] ouch!
   
   "This may well be the worst graphic ever to find its way into print:" [page 118] refers to a "series of weird three-dimensional displays appearing in the magazine American Education in the 1970s (that) delighted connoisseurs of the graphically preposterous. Here five colors report, almost by happenstance, only five pieces of data..." [page 118]
   
   You may not, and I certainly did not agree with Tufte's suggestions for maximizing the data-ink efficiency of the box-plot, in the chapter on "Data-ink Maximization", but they are worth examining nonetheless. However, his redesign of the bar chart, with a border and other accouterments, on pages 126-128, are excellent.
   
   Many examples of bad visualizations cited in the book are from the "New York Times", so it is sort of reassuring when you see that the quality of visualizations on the NYT has improved a lot, and are frequently the objects of animated discussions. There may be hope, after all.
   
   The review title, explained, at least part thereof:
   --------------------------------------------------
   And what about that slightly inappropriate word in the title of the review?
   Tufte writes that an art director with overall responsibility for the design of over 3,000 graphics annually had this to say - "graphics are intended to more to lure the reader's attention away from the advertising than to explain the news in any detail. 'Unlike the advertisements,' he said, 'at least we don't put naked women in our graphics.' " [page 80] We must be all thankful for small mercies, I suppose.



5. The book was in the exact condition the seller described. Fast shipment excellent seller!!!

2 comments about The Art of How to Train Your Dragon.

1. Great BOOK! WONDERFUL artwork! I love all the character designs that are coming out of Dreamworks for their movies!! BUT anyone else get a copy of it that the middle 12 or so pages where upside down and out of order? The one reason I DONT like getting stuff from AMAZON...no easy way to return and get your book instantly. ugh! And since it didnt come shrinkwrapped you think the publisher would have had a little more quality control. Great book...but a blemish on it that probably I will have to live with...? (Does that happen alot?)



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1VLJM4BANDTRM I can't believe my eyes when I saw this books on the shelf at a local bookshop, two months earlier than its scheduled release date.
   
   Flipped a few pages, and saw the unique style of Nicolas Marlet, flipped back to the cover and found that Tracy Miller-Zarneke is the author and the movie's from Dreamworks. Those three names instantly reminded me of quality art book The Art of Kung Fu Panda. I'm glad to say that this book is as good and fun. By the way, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois are the famed directors here.
   
   Inside the book are more than 350 development artwork, including early character designs, story sketches, and concept paintings. The books is divided into three parts, the dragons, vikings and the environment with stuff like props and houses. Discarded art and characters are also included, like Hiccup's mother - who can cook a mean dish with dragon meat. Accompanying the art are plenty of interesting quotes and commentary from the production staff.
   
   Nicolas Marlet and Simon Otto seem to be the lead character designers responsible for the concept art of the dragons and vikings, although a good amount of designs are actually from Nicolas Marlet. There's a wide range of wackiness and creativity to the drawings. The character digital paintings are great and the colours are really beautiful, kudos to Zhaoping Wei.
   
   The environment paintings from Pierre-Olivier Vncent, art director, are beautiful. This guy really knows how to draw scenic yet precarious backgrounds like sloping hilltops, snow-capped sea arches and Dragon island which is like an ice-cream cone with molten lava as topping. Not only that, his tranquil pieces are also spectacular, National Geographic-spectacular. He has created places you want to visit but probably not because one wrong step and you'll roll down the hill.
   
   There are even a few illustrations from Dominique Louis, who did some pastel concept art for Pixar. His using digital pastels now and there's no difference from his traditional work, I'm glad to say. The fun and stylised houses, statues, weapons, boats and other props are from Kirsten Kawamura and Mel Zwyer.
   
   It's a fantastic book showing the creative prowess of amazing artists. Highly recommended.
   
   -
   
   By the way, if you missed the "About the Author" section above, I have to mention it here again because Tracey Miller-Zarneke has authored some really great art books that you should check out.
   - The Art of Kung Fu Panda
   - The Art of Meet the Robinsons
   - The Art and Making of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
   
   -
   
   (More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

5 comments about Envisioning Information.

1. I bought this book as a present for a friend who has an interest in typography. She's also been interested in graphic design, which is why I picked this book in particular.
   
   I've read part of it myself (a library copy), before deciding to buy a copy for my friend. It's stunningly simple at first glance. The textual descriptions are spare but, should the reader want to, they guide him/her to making detailed examinations of the illustrations/figures. It is these individual examinations that one will get the most learning from in this book.
   
   This is a great book; I'm leaning towards getting a copy for myself, but I also want to check out Tufte's 'Visual Display of Quantitative Information', as that pertains to my more immediate need.



2. I'm a journalist studying design and technology at Stanford. this text richly details subtleties of visual design, visual thinking and data presentation. It was recommended to me by a computer scientist who as working on data visualization.
   
   I would follow Tufte's advice in the forward and give the fairly thin volume plenty of time and careful study. Every visual should be poured over again and again. You will be rewarded for careful consideration.



3. Passionate exposition on effective visualizations. Key takeaways are small-multiples, use of color, and use of details. However, the material on maps is sketchy. While mostly good, it is also distractedly didactic. While a must-have in any collection on data visualizations, for people looking for only one book on effective data visualizations, this is not it.
   This book is like the poetry of visualizations; you will need to supplement it with books that are the prose of visualizations - see suggestions at the end of the review.
   
   Why 3 Stars???
   --------------
   I initially gave this four stars, but then changed it to three stars. This may seem harsh, but hear me out. There is lots that is good in the book. However, this book's focus is more on cartography and maps. And this is where it falls short. It does not address the issue of map based visualizations in any sort of depth. Not much space is devoted to the different types of map based visualizations - dot plots, qualitative and quantitative choropleths (color patches), heatmaps, proportional bars, 3D maps, maps with variable sized markers, isopleths, flow maps, dot-location maps, graduated symbol maps, and much, much, more. The other reason for deducting two stars is the fact that this book, in 2009, does read a bit dated. It is a beautifully laid out book, that almost falls into the coffee-table book category, but looking beyond that, the material does show its age. 10 or 15 years ago the rating would have been 4 or 5 stars. Perhaps unfair on my part...
   
   Excerpt:
   -------
   On the topic of spatial maps, Tufte highlights a problem that may emerge with conventional choropleths (blot maps): "(they)... paint over areas formed by given geographic or political boundaries ..." and resulting in non-uniform sizes, and "historical changes in political boundaries disrupt continuity of statistical comparisons." The solution? Or at least one solution: "Mesh maps finesse these problems." Taking the example of a map of Japan, "... the whole country of Japan was divided up in 379,000 equal-sized units and then, in a heroic endeavor, census data and addresses were collated to match the new grid squares." [page 40, 41]
   
   
   Some of the examples may not strike a resonant chord with everyone - for example, the "Weather Chart" at the top of page 32 looks too dense and full of diverse symbols to be truly effective.
   
   Excerpts from the book:
   -----------------------
   "All communication between the readers of an image and the makers of an image must now take place on a two-dimensional surface. Escaping this flatland is the essential task of envisioning information." [page 12]
   
   Given the inherent multi-dimensionality of data (a measure that represents value or values over time, region, and other dimensions - e.g. number of employees by year, by country, and by line-of-business), Tufte states that we should "... increase (1) the number of dimensions that can be represented on plane surfaces and (2) the data density (amount of information per unit area)." [page 13]
   This focus on data density finds resonance throughout the book:
   "Simplicity of reading derives from the context of detailed and complex information, properly arranged. A most unconventional design strategy is revealed: to clarify, add detail." [page 37]
   
   Tufte is especially harsh on charts that feature "chart junk", what he describes as "... display apparatus and ornamentation" that "... seek to attract and divert attention...", and that "Lurking behind chart junk is contempt both for information and for the audience. ... designing as if readers were obtuse and uncaring... " [page 33, 34]
   
   "The struggle between maintenance of context and enforcement of comparison... " [page 77]
   
   Excessive or wanton use of color can be very damaging to the visualization. Eduard Imhof enumerates four rules of minimizing such color damage:
   "First rule: Pure, bright colors or very strong colors have loud, unbearable effects when they stand unrelieved over large areas adjacent to each other, but extraordinary effects can be achieved when they are used sparingly on or between dull background tones. ...
   Second rule: The placing of light, bright colors mixed with white next to each other usually produces unpleasant results..." [page 82]
   
   Tufte lists "... the fundamental uses of color in information design: to label (color as noun), to measure (color as quantity), to represent or intimate reality (color as representation), and to enliven or decorate (color as beauty)." [page 81]
   
   Cons:
   -----
   The book is short. It doesn't feel so, but is in fact all of 126 pages.
   More color is needed.
   Some of the reproductions are not very clear, and it is a real strain on the eyes to discern the data and the visualization: certainly not a ringing endorsement for a book on visualizations.
   Without some any formal, theoretical background, this book feels incomplete.
   
   In Closing:
   -----------
   Consider this: while you may use other books more frequently to learn and reference when creating visualizations, charts, or dashboards, you will want to keep this book handy to remind yourself of the bigger picture and the historical context of visualizations.
   
   Suggested Additional Reading:
   -----------------------------
   You should supplement the visual feast in Tufte's "Envisioning Information" with these books:
   - Tufte's other book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition, is probably the better one.
   - Stephen Few's "Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data"
   - Jenifer Tidwell's "Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design"
   - Colin Ware's "Information Visualization, Second Edition: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies)"
   - Visualizing Data by William S. Cleveland
   - Exploratory Data Analysis by John W. Tukey
   and many other books that cover the topic of information visualizations.



4. Tufte is an information design pundit in the first order, and this book explains the issues that designers of information displays face across all number of print situations and for most data sets. The design of the book itself is concise and engaging. The text can be dense, it is extremely well and frequently cited. With the quality and sheer number of historical references from a variety of sources the reader quickly realizes that Tufte has tapped into visual design principles that transcend trends, technological advances, and local tastes. A virtual must-read for data display technicians.



5. Don't get it why this book is so popular. The visual examples that are given are hard to understand without reading the text. I would think that a book that explains how information is envisioned would be self explanatory trough the visuals in the book. I would not recommend to anyone who is superficially interested in design. If you are a professional designer it could maybe be something for you.

5 comments about Mega Man: Official Complete Works.

1. This is a must have,
   i never actually review on amazon before
   but this will be a first
   show every art-work of the entire series
   from mega man 1 to 8
   9 and 10 are not in this book =(
   but the other one from SNES, PS, and other
   are here
   get it while there are no more



2. First, congratulations to the publisher because, not only if bought this masterpiece from Japan, but they also did took the care to keep it intact instead of changing everything like most americans do - if you know japanese terror filmes adaptation to USA, or even games like Rockman->Megaman you know what I mean.
   
   Second, this is a totally must have for anyone who played Megaman games, from 1 to 6 and 9 and 10. Simply do not loose time, buy it, it is worth every single cent. It not only have inedit artwork, but text of the creatosd talking about their work is fun and the most important testimony about Megaman history so far. The sketches of non-used charaters and robot masters make you imagine as you were the Megaman development team, picking one that best fits their ideas, simply wonderful.



3. First of all, the availability of this video game art book is somewhat limited. I had wanted to order one since it came out in November 2009, but I waited too long to order it. When I finally tried to order it, it was already sold out or back ordered everywhere. The stores that did have it in stock were selling it way over the cover price. Anyone who is a fan of Mega Man games of today or those from the 90's should really pick up this book. It has about 200 pages of beautiful artwork from the creators / designers and also includes some exclusive never before seen drawings / sketches. Some people that have worked on the games over the years also include some insight into a lot of the sketches. The people who put together this book have paid so much attention to detail, and it clearly shows from start to finish. For example, a little Megaman is printed in the corner of every page. If you flip the pages quickly, you can make him run in motion! It is reasons like this that this one of my favorite books in my collection!



4. Firstly, I had never really been a huge fan of the Mega Man series until I discovered Mega Man X. After buying the X series book I decided to give the original series book a try and was really impressed. This book actually contains even more illustrations than the X compilation, which is a very nice bonus. It's packed full of turn arounds, designs and illustrations. It's a must have for any Mega Man fan or those that just love to collect video game artwork.



5. This book is completely amazing, full of behind the scenes info from all the artists. High quality paper and printing. I am replaying all the games again, just to see the art in context. Covers every original mega man game up to 8, with concept art & sketches. Mega Man 9 & 10 are not here, since they are brand new games.
   
   I never thought I would be able to see so much mega man art, my only thing is that Mega Man 8, which has the most hand drawn art, doesn't have as much images as 7, for example. I'm sure you could fill a whole book with just 8. But it is incredible anyway. Thanks for making it!

5 comments about Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs).

1. a good intro on how to work with type and what mistakes to avoid when formatting type



2. This book talks about the history and elements of type. As a part-time designer I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about some of the creative people behind typefaces.



3. If you're looking for an instructional guide to typography, check out The Elements of Typographic Style or The Complete Manual of Typography. After revisiting this book, I've upped it to 4 stars, realizing that while it doesn't serve as a typographical reference, it is thought-provoking.
   
   This book, while it does contain some practical dos and don'ts, is more useful for: seeing good examples of interesting typography; learning a bit of history about typefaces, layout, and grid; and for learning about how typographical grids and other techniques apply to web design.
   
   I agree with some other reviewers that the design and layout of the book at times is overwrought, and distracts from the content. This is most evident in the first chapter, Letters, which I found very difficult to get through. However, the second (Text) and third (Grid) chapters aren't laid out so busily, and are much stronger.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this as a first or only book on typography, but is worth reading after more complete, nuts-and-bolts volumes.



4. After reading all the glittering reviews (and realizing that I could probably do with a little more typeface history and design knowledge), I purchased this book from Amazon. To be honest, I found the inside of the book to be laid out in a very ADD manner, with varying multi-colored, different-sized, intersecting sections of what-not COMPETING FOR ATTENTION. The information itself was good, but to be honest it was so badly laid out that it hindered me from reading any further, and had to force myself to read to the 20th page. As a Master's level Graphic Design student, I am APPALLED at the design or lack thereof of the pages of this book (with the exception of the cover), and even more shocked that this is considered one of the best typeface textbooks there is (and even more so that it was written by a PROFESSOR who is currently teaching in this field). There has to be a MUCH better and reader-friendly textbook on type out there.



5. Good learning material. I needed it for my class and i like the ease of reading it and the useful amount of knowledge it has. since i am a graphic design major, i found it helpful. Good condition when i bought it as well.

5 comments about The Design of Everyday Things.

1. I don't know all the types of people who would benefit from reading this book, but I have it on my [short] list of "must reads" for game designers. I imagine that anyone who creates things that other people are supposed to use would learn something from this book that would be beneficial.
   
   The author presents principles of design that focus on usability. My only gripe, which is not enough of an issue to warrant less than 5 stars, is that some of the examples the author uses are old and almost outdated.



2. I forward the recommendation that was made to me once. A nice book for thinking design and practical concepts. Learn how to be smart beyond how people build your environment for you.



3. Not a very useful book.
   
   Too much of the book was focused on how wrong it is to put a pull handle on a push door. Okay, kind of joking about that, but it seemed to be a recurring theme.
   
   Many examples of obvious things, repetitive themes, and unsupported data.
   
   Also outdated. Sure, good design concepts are timeless, but using DOS in a computer example should give the author a clue. Given this book's shortcomings, you would think the author would want to take every opportunity to try and improve it, and make it more appealing to a wider audience.
   
   Also very unstructured. It jumps around a lot without making solid points.
   
   Maybe worth the $12.00, but glad I didn't spend more.



4. It's a good book. It's a lot smaller than I was expecting it to be. Also there are no color pictures.



5. The Psychology of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman is a book that gives an interesting treatment of usability and design of everything from doors to computers. Over seven chapters and 217 pages (of core content), Norman lays out a very logical and technical treatment of the subject. I am a software development professional, and I choose this book to look for higher level principles that I could apply in my line of work. This has been done very successfully in the realm of design patterns in software that have their conceptual root in architectural patterns.
   
   Norman gives a number of illustrations based on who people have difficulties using doors of varying styles. Who has not had a mishap of trying to pull a "push" door or push a "pull" door? While giving the reader something that they can relate to, Norman outlines the factors that distinguish good designs from poor ones. He talks about the visible queues that objectives give users as to the proper use in addition to feedback that the user has accomplished their goal in using objects. Some examples are a bit dated (given that the book was published 20 years ago) such as the difficulties of slide projectors and VCRs. However the principles that he relates transcend time and apply as much today as they did 20, 40, and 100 years ago. It is also interesting that he calls for things yet invented that are now in existence such as the PDA/smartphone and CDs that contain the artist and song information for display on your radio. At the end, I got a bit of a laugh from his trepidation about the issues that would come from being able to search the world's collection of hypertext documents. However, the early days of the internet did prove his fears correct. We take Google's work for granted.
   
   Further, he goes into the psychology of actions in which explains both execution and evaluation of actions, i.e. one has to know the proper uses of things as well as interpret the aftereffects of their actions. For execution, people have what they know and what the environment tells them. Many times people can use objects correctly the first time without any prior knowledge because the design gives clues and constraints that direct and limit what people can actually do with them. Evaluation is important because for a variety of reasons people make mistakes. Sometimes the user is at fault, but other times the design gives no information or worse misinformation about how the object should be used.
   
   With these concepts in mind, Norman addresses how to avoid the common pitfalls of unusable design. As is often the case there are trade offs. Devices with fewer controls look simpler, but this often requires a single control to handle multiple functions in context specific ways. On the other hand if an object has more controls, it will seem more complex to the user. He suggests segmentation and making only part of the controls visible at once as ways to combat the complexity.
   
   I was pleased to see that Norman deals to some extent with computers in his text. He asserts that programmers are often poor designers, and my own experience supports this claim. As someone who has written a lot of "behinds the scenes" software, I know that my strength is not in user interface design. In my current role as a manager, however, I now have new ideas to consider for evaluating user interfaces that my team creates.
   
   The only downside of the book is that it really reads like a textbook, and I found it hard to take in large doses. I am glad that I completed it, but it took me a few weeks rather than the couple of days that a book of this length would normally take. If you are willing to put in a little effort, you will find valuable information here.
   
   Overall: B

5 comments about Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team.

1. I am a graphic design student and I am interested in branding and I am just starting my library. Great resource to have on the shelf. Lots of good information on all the areas that are impacted by branding. Gives lots of info so you cover all your basis. Easy read, great examples and very user friendly.



2. Hallelujah to Designing Brand Identity! The book that I'm sure was not an easy undertaking, but somebody had to do it. To a small brand strategy and communications company, learning this craft through experience and gut instinct, this truly is a godsend. It is validation for things we've done right, and insight for ways to sharpen. It's a re-kindling reminder of the value we deliver. Most important, it's a wise, egoless, universal set of principles, practices and processes to study and learn from. (And then go out there and add your own magic to.)



3. This book is a real classic.
   
   At every new project I do I begin with a scan of it. It is very well structured and written. It really helps me to organize my work.
   
   (I also have great words on it from great branding professionals: [...])
   
   Just love it! Thank you Alina Wheeler! :)
   
   Adrian Mironescu
   Identity designer and consultant | a free spirit
   [...]



4. Good guide but very brief. Some of the answers to students questions maybe difficult to discern from the seemingly random quotes and text spread out through the pages.



5. All the information you need to work on branding identity is in this book. The layout is clean and open. The information comes in precise sets exactly as needed not bogging down the page with lines like text books. The images are appropriate and cleverly placed. A great designers book.

5 comments about Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.

1. I've first see this book in my friend's home. I was amazed by colors, quality of paper and last but not least the content. I've never thought about the comics books in the way this one explains. and the form the explanation takes is adding a flavor to the reading experience. i'm enjoyed reading it (i did it already twice). this is a book that you can take from the shelf at any time, open at any page and read. of course, to do it you need first read it once from the first page to the last... :)



2. Scott McCloud has written a 216 page comic book to explain comic books. The artwork, language, humor or social criticism of comics are obvious to most comics readers, but McCloud delves deeply into the underpinnings of this world--the technical, invisible paradigm that supports the creation and consumption of comics.
   
   Understanding Comics is a comic appreciation book. I was impressed with McCloud's grasp of the discipline's history, the psychology of the art and his own creativity when explaining his topic. For me, entering into this paradigm was very much like Thomas Kuhn discovering paradigms, when he said, "The scales have fallen from my eyes."
   
   Those familiar with comics have recommended a couple of alternatives in their reviews, but still end up suggesting that this book deserves a place among the serious works about comics. I agree.
   
   Jack H. Bender, author of Disregarded: Transforming the School and Workplace through Deep Respect and Courage



3. Let me begin by saying that I am very design and artistically challenged. I enjoy art passively. "Understanding Comics" introduced me to concepts in art and comics specifically. Scott knows as much, if not more about comics as anyone else. This is a brilliant book which presents really complex concepts to the readers in a way that a reader can understand, appreciate and remember these concepts.
   Why are we not taught these books at school. There is so much about design to learn from the book. I had borrowed the copy from a library but I am buying a copy now.



4. During these holidays friends were going to visit the Petroglyph Park in ABQ. I remembered this book, reread for the 4th time and when done gave it to my friends, and bought another copy. This book should be required reading for anyone in the visual arts, including those involved in websites, video, internet, gaming etc. Saying it is a book about comics is a great disservice to the book. It explains and dissects everything from symbols to how we read the visual and written medium. This book has helped me in my photography work...I really think about how an image I shoot can forward and represent what I want to say. I can't say enough positive things. The greatest thing about this book is that it seems like Scott is in the room with you explaining extremely complex ideas in the most simplistic and fun manner. If half my textbooks in college were this fun it would have cut my education time in half.



5. McCloud - to my mind - stands with Edward Tufte as an illuminator of visual information - and along the way, in reading all three of McCloud's books, I got a bit of art history, cinema history, graphic design - the connections between them - and more than enough to make me want to know more about all of McCloud's connected territories.

5 comments about Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines).

1. Full of information most of us do not really think about, like pricing, contracts, etc. Worth every penny.



2. I recently got this book and from what I have been seeing so far I know that this book will be so valuable to me. I recommend this book for artists of every medium.



3. Finally, a new addition that was published while the economy was overheated in 2007, the 12th edition. If all the staggering Federal deficit spending brings us hyper-inflation in the next couple of years, the Graphic Artist Guild will need to publish a new addition, soon, with updated prices that are adjusted for inflation.



4. I first saw this series of books when working in house in the late 90's. I somewhat forgot about them until seeing the book at a local Big New bookstore, where I picked up the most recent copy and checked it out a bit. I realized that I should have bought this book years ago, when I first went out on my own in the design world, so I came home and ordered it up on Amazon (for about 40% off the price it was at the bookstore.) I probably should have bought it at the bookstore, since I spend a lot of time there but times are tough, you have to save where you can.
   
   The book is broken down into just about every segment / classification you can think of. From designing stamps for third world countries to doing medical illustrations for advertisements (and literally everything in between). There are a few tiny holes (ie: catalog layout), but with so much other subjects / materials for cross referencing, it's pretty easy to figure out what the rate should be.
   
   All in all, I'd HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who does any freelance or contract work in the creative field. It would be a great gift for any recent or future college graduate in the graphic design / illustration field. There's loads of information inside it's covers.



5. I'm a freelance graphic/web designer who is looking for good resources on developing contracts and average pay rates. This is by far a very handy resource to have around.

5 comments about Esquire The Handbook of Style: A Man's Guide to Looking Good.

1. For the guy wanting to live and appear like a real man, this is the book to have.



2. Esquire has made a terrific and complete all around guide to men's style. But unfortunately, they spend too little time on how to get buy on a budget.
   
   It's really tough to do, but... with resources [...] (cheap shameless plug) it can be done. Esquire will forever be a great resource for stylish guys. Take their suggestions, then figure out how you can do it without spending thousands. They set a great example, the key is getting it done on the cheap.



3. This book can help you achieve a timeless style. One that looks great today and will look great in the future.
   
   It goes into great detail about suits, shirts, sweaters, pants, shoes, coats, accessories and even personal care. There's a lot of detail about fit and buying the right clothing for your body type. The book also covers what to wear for different occasions like work, casual and formal.
   
   One handy section has illustrations showing several different ways to tie a tie. Don't know the difference between a double windsor knot and a four-in-hand knot? This book will show you.
   
   Also helpful are the photos (although only in black and white) of men who exemplify timeless style: Steve McQueen, Jack Lemmon, Spencer Tracy, The Beatles.
   
   Caring for your clothes is also covered. Did you know a clothes steamer is often better for your garments than expensive dry cleaning? I'd never even heard of a steamer, but I'll be buying one in the near future.
   
   I really like this book. It's a great reference and will help me update my wardrobe. I recommend it along with Details Men's Style Manual: The Ultimate Guide for Making Your Clothes Work for You.



4. This small book is jam-packed with valuable information regarding men's stylings and fashion. The size lends well to a portable reference book, while the density of info makes it well for the personal library. The variety of topics covered is exhaustive, with included details on form and functions. Compared to other style books, I would say this has the most longevity. The only problem I had with it was the pictures are all black and white, and tiny. Details referred from the text are lost in the small photos. But still, highly recommended.



5. Solid, if quite general, information on basic mens style. The writing is good, occasionally snarky, and the advice offered will still be relevant several years from now. The layout is well put together and the celebrity images run from vintage to recent. And I disagree with other reviews dismissing this range as dated. There is a certain classicism represented in the choices, and I appreciate a restraint which avoids too many trendy faces that will be forgotten in a year or two.
   
   Unfortunately what weakens this edition from four to three stars is the omission of any color photos. One cannot properly compare dark brown and black shoes in a B&W photo. A page that purports to guide the reader in pairing shirts, trousers, and jackets is ineffectual as a grayscale reproduction. Fashion in our daily lives always exists in full color, and any book claiming to be a style guide should mirror this reality.
   
   The publisher should correct this in future editions.