The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
| Author | Edward R. Tufte |
|---|---|
| Published | 1983 |
| Format | Book |
TL;DR — Edward Tufte’s classic on statistical graphics: maximise data-ink, cut “chartjunk,” and show the data. Second edition, Graphics Press, 2001.
Self-published by Tufte through Graphics Press in 1983; this scan is the second edition (2001), whose introduction recounts financing the first printing with a second mortgage. Part I, Graphical Practice, surveys graphical excellence and integrity, including Minard’s map of Napoleon’s march and William Playfair’s charts, and how graphics can lie. Part II, Theory of Data Graphics, develops the data-ink ratio, “chartjunk,” data density and small multiples, and closes with aesthetics and technique.
The scan is image-only, without a text layer.
What it is: the standard classic on data visualisation. In-print book; no open copy found.
Where this came from
- A copy saved in October 2026.
191 pages. A PDF copy is held in Kyle’s private archive; it is not linked or shared here.