Reader reviews

Decent, but uneven. Some chapters are much stronger than others.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

I have read a lot of books on this subject and this is the clearest.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Genuinely excellent — I finished it in a week and immediately started again.

I have been working with data visualization for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. The chapters on data visualization are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I have been working with simulation for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

Finally, a book that treats data visualization with the care it deserves.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with data visualization.

Not for me. The pacing did not work and I struggled to finish it.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Two stars. The subject deserves a better treatment than this.