Quintessential resource
581147
I love this collection and purchased it to prepare for a recital.  It is the beginning of the quintessential collection of art songs by black composers by one of the leading scholars of his time, Dr. Patterson.  Every serious musician and champion of art song should have it.
2724310
As anyone who has spent a substantial time floating through the vast oceans of the Internet seeking out some treasure knows, being able to tell the treasure within the detritus is a powerful skill. Frequently, an even more powerful, and necessary is being able to present that treasure to someone else such that they also see the value.  Today I'll be sharing Dona' Wong's book "The Wall Street Journal Guide To information Graphics", which seeks to provide a resource to those who grapple with presenting informational treasure troves.

Before proceeding too far, let me say that figuring out novel ways to present information is a personal passion of mine, so I was thrilled to receive a review copy of this book. The great challenge in communicating informationally dense content is to arrive at a presentation format that transparently delivers the informational content in a powerful manner. While doing this, it is of the utmost importance to maintain the integrity of the data. If you have just a few data points a simple table might be sufficient, more commonly the data needs to be converted into some visual format so the message is not obscured by reams of numbers and the dread data blindness.

I found Wong's book to be an effective primer on information graphics. It has a strong bent towards their application to the financial industry, but the principles she espouses apply equally well to any other discipline where quantitative meaning is communicated. A passerby might be put off by the slimness of the volume but ought not be because this slender tome is an informationally rich, clear book full of insightful examples.

The book dashes through a wide array of content. In the first section, she covers basic concepts of charting, font selection, and proper application of color. This is followed up by an in-depth look at basic charts. Next, she dives into the fundamental mathematics that anyone presenting a chart should understand. She then proceeds cover some of the more ambiguous issues you might encounter. For instance how much data can be missing before a data set is unusable? How do you appropriately scale large numbers containing a small relative change? Finally, she rounds things out with an area not often covered by information graphicists which is on charting progress and resources.

While, this book is extremely light on the word-text, it does not shy away from graphic-text. Wong chooses to primarily discourse through visual example. The bulk of the book is structured as "don't do X" instead "do y." Each example is illustrated using a chart/counter-chart format. In nearly every example I recall, I found this to be an effective technique for illustrating the flaws to avoid or the methods she advocates.

My only criticism is that I found Chapter 4, on tricky situations, to be a bit of a rehash of topics she had previously covered. Three out of the four subjects, addressed in this section, are covered, in essence if not explicitly, in other sections of the book. Although she goes into more detail in this section, I would have preferred to have these topics integrated into the previous chapters. That said, although there is some ground being retread the issues she is covering in this chapter are persistent problems throughout the information graphic universe so perhaps some repetition is warranted.

In all, I would strongly encourage any one who is embarking out to the sea of ideas, or has already spent some time floating with little direction to pick up "The Wall Street Journal Guide To information Graphics." After finishing the book, the newly skilled presenter will be better prepared when next they bring home that hard won find, and wish to show others their newly acquired treasure.
618968
Whether you are just starting out in the Travel Writing/Photography industry, or have been at it for years, this new eBook will become an invaluable resource.  One of the industries most daunting challenges is finding the best venues to submit your work... For a paycheck.  Not only does this book list 101 potential outlets, it provides direct links to the submission guidelines.  I found the section on query letters particularly helpful.  A quick read and excellent reference, this book will inspire me for years to come!
2356976
This is an excellent resource!  Over 500 pages of information, nearly everything I have looked up, including unusual and hard-to-find perennials and annuals, has been in this book.  All plants are listed by their latin name, and Powell has included an easy index at the back of the book to look up the latin names under the common names.  It's a really handy volume- each listing includes: brief description w/ page reference for a photograph included near the back of the book; the type of plant (hardy perennial, etc.), zones, flowering season; directions for sowing both indoors and outdoors, germinating time and requirements; transplanting information; care; combination ideas; warnings if the plant is toxic; and my favorite - how to propagate (i.e. by division, cutting, seed collecting, etc.).  Also, any "tricks" for germination (like needing to soak seeds ahead of time), are also in the description.  For anyone growing from seed, this is an excellent resource - much handier and more complete than many out there.
1269018
For beginners to advanced - this is a great resource.
2623226
This is a great resource about the Riemann Zeta function.  A good chunk of the mathematics in this book is beyond me, but the value nevertheless was immense.

A great resource and important book.
4210344
THE resource for bicycle racing that should be in every bicyclists library. This book has WAY more than the average bicycle rider would need and offers much valuable info that many would not even think to ask about. Excellent resource, even though the equipment is necessarily out of date. Most of it is CLASSIC.
2962825
Pretty great resource so far. A large part of the book is spent on exploring creating User interfaces/forms. However, I am much more interested in coding for data extraction and server synchronization, which I hope the book gets into.
3662662
It is so helpful to have one resource that lists such a comprehensive
collection of online links for our teachers, in a volume that can be
marked up and passed around. The descriptions are accurate, and the
selection of resources is varied and valuable. Thank you for creating
such a wonderful resource!
612323
A very valuable resource in understanding the book of Abraham and it's Facsimiles. Without a mental framework to put the material in context, however, it is easy to get lost. That Framework is provided in the Introduction, not the preface, but the Introduction. (And almost nowhere else) Having the Introduction firmly in mind as I read helps me greatly in understanding the significance of the material in the book.
  Having said that, the book is rich in material to help understand the cultures, rights, traditions, and the form in which actual ancient events and ideas would eventually be recorded.
2081529
A truly comprehensive go-to resource. Valuable insightful and inspiring guide. Highly recommended!
4489673
Excellent resource, well written, informative
Great ideas presented simply, easily adaptable to all levels
Provides clear examples and clarifications of relevant vocabulary and concepts
1296543
good resource to have in your library, you won't regret buying this book
447544
This is an amazing resource and is destined to be a new classic.

The way Samin Nosrat has structured the book is so valuable. The writing is casual, yet clear.

I also MUST mention the illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton. As a visual person, who loves a creative and informative diagram that breaks down a ton of information into a small space, all i can say is, "Wow!" The watercolor drawings bring the personality of the piece to life, with a one-of-a-kind energy.
664171
I wish I'd had this book 13 years ago when I was a technical writer in a software company moving into what I later found out was called information architecture and which we would now know as user experience.

It is a fantastic resource for anyone new to the field. It gives an excellent introduction to what is involved and what you can do to improve user experience while retaining your day job.

One highpoint for me is the chapter on generating ideas, which demonstrates many of the well-known methods (excellently illustrated) as well as some more esoteric activities. Even seasoned UXers will find something new here.

There's also a very good chapter on deliverables with one of my favourite lines in the book: "Deliverables are a step on the journey, not the end of the line". Perhaps it would be good if the authors warned here that in agencies (I refuse to perpetuate the authors' use of the appalling terms "outties' and innies"!) deliverables are often seen as the final and only outcome.

I also thought the section on responding to criticisms in review sessions well thought out. It ought to give confidence to anyone facing this daunting prospect, and probably has some handy tips for more experienced practitioners.

A few criticisms: the book only talks about web sites: user experience experts work in all sorts of product environments (like software) and it would be good if the book made the point that many of these skills and methods are transferable. I found some of the chapter on working with other disciplines a little patronising, particularly of visual designers, who can be highly experienced interactionists with whom we can and should work closely. I also thought the section on Agile was a little optimistic, skating over some of the difficulties.

But overall this is a great new book and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to work in user experience design.
2950971
Excellent resource - it has everything you need in one book!
2500476
Great resource you will use all through the years.