My Review for – Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten

September 25th, 2011 Filed under: Business Sales Training — Negotiation Author

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Tables and graphs can more adequately communicate important business information when they reflect the good design practices discussed in this practical guide to effective table and graph design. Information is provided on the fundamental concepts of table and graph design, the numbers and knowledge most suitable for display in a graphic form, the best tabular means to communicate certain ideas, and the component-level aspects of design. Analysts, technicians, and managers will appreciate the solid theory behind this outline for ensuring that tables and graphs present quantitative business information in a truthful, attractive format that facilitates better decision making.


Review:

After reading “Show Me the Numbers,” while preparing to post a review of this exceptional book, I felt compelled to respond to the odd and uninformed comments posted by the reviewer who goes by the name Joey Canuck. His primary criticism seems to be that the book is bloated with more words than necessary to present the content. I couldn’t disagree more. Perhaps Mr. Canuck disapproves of the author’s approach to teaching, which involves a thorough, step-by-step construction of the concepts, complemented by many practical examples, which I believe to be a sound approach when you intend to help people learn. Just like well designed tables and graphs, the design of this book, without frivolous or distracting content, demonstrates a clear focus on communication.

Contrary to Joey Canuck’s claim, this book has nothing to do with Excel, other than instructions that appear in an appendix for using Excel to create a particular graph. The principles and practices taught in this book are software agnostic. Regarding consistency with the principles taught by Edward Tufte, I found this book to be quite true to them, and a fitting application and extension of Tufte’s principles to the data presentation needs faced every day in the business world. Canuck’s complaint that the first grid line does not appear in a graph until page 207 suggests that he is not very familiar with Tufte’s teachings, which would deem grid lines in most business graphs as “chartjunk.” Actually, the first graph with grid lines appears on page 4, but as an example of the poor design that is common in business today.

A big part of my work involves the creation of reports, consisting largely of tables and graphs. I must often fight for the need to keep the presentation of data simple and clear. “Show Me the Numbers” provides me with the support I need to do this effectively and compellingly.

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