Customer Reviews

Information Visualization, Second Edition: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ware's book provides a technically accurate and well-written overview of the gamut of issues pertaining to information visualization -- from basic visual anatomy and physiology to techniques for creating effective displays from multidimensional data.

Yes, it's "introductory" in nature, but it's the most comprehensive introduction I've seen to this complex and emerging field. It would make an excellent reference or textbook.

The 5-star content gets 4 stars because of the book's numerous editorial flaws. For example, several illustrations in the text reference color plate images that simply don't exist. And at least a half-dozen works cited in the text don't appear on the reference list. All-in-all, a rather slipshod editing job.

This a well-written work revealing the fundamental rules of perception that are applicable in info viz and design. If you are looking for elaborate examples or brochureware, this is not for you. Focus is on basic principles (such as the gestalt rules, kinetic motion organization, visual ability. Excellent for the beginner or academic. Advanced info designers/architects may find it a little lean, but trust me, it's still worth it as a refresher and knowledge-base builder (I felt I still learned a few things).

The only main drawback may be book quality. Only a few color plates in the center make for a visually sparse work, although there are b/w images throughout. Nevertheless, writing makes up for this fact with clear and direct language. Many of us here in the Communication Planning/Information Design grad program like it a lot.

This is the best single volume book on the subject of information visualisation that I've read. Sure, there are other very nice books on diagrams, maps, data analysis, modelling and scientific visualisation. However, none of them have the scope of this book.

And therein lies the problem. For a single volume book Ware's effort tries to cover too much and some of the chapters are quite weak (chapter 0 and 10). Also, the fact that it was written by a psychologist shows in a good and bad way: human visual cognition is correctly the foundation upon which to build visualisation. Unfortunately the examples and the ideas for implementation are often lacking or poor in quality.

The first edition also has typesetting errors, so be sure to get the second edition.

All in all, it's still a book worth getting if you're in any serious way connected with the practise of visualisation. However, don't expect it to be the bible of the field, as such a thing does not exist (yet).

This is a basic introduction to InfoVis, covering topics from human perception to improving the decision-making processes with visualizations. It is worth having if you are in the field or are serious about improving your visualizations.

Some of the negative comments in reviews must refer to the first edition. My second edition has (some) color images as appropriate throughout the book. There are still a few errors, but not a large number. There are definitely a few low quality examples.

Full of rich, deep theory about vision and visualization, with lots of practical advice. The only reason I don't give it a five stars is that there are places where he is too cursory and absract to understand (but two places out of 400 pages is pretty good for an academic).

WOW. This guy did his homework! Ware covers the basics and more advanced topics. I felt he goes beyond most books on this subject by giving his suggestions and not just stating facts.

for me, this is one of the books that you have always waited for. it is combin lot's of important issues considering the design work. this book dealing with Lightness, Brightness, Contrast, and Constancy,Interacting with Visualizations,Images and Words, and Static and Moving Patterns.

The book gives sme guidleines (supported by research) but it won't be suitable for practioners but as a text book of no very good use for an information visualization course. It was tedious to have it as our text book I don't know if this is what I think or is it the actual case.