Reader reviews

The clearest explanation of data visualization I have come across.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. 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.

Worth every page. I have already recommended it to two colleagues.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

Some sections were excellent and others felt like filler.

I have been working with javascript for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. 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.

Worth every page. I have already recommended it to two colleagues.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The chapters on game development are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

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

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.