QuickStart Guide to (Ultra-)High Performance Visualizations

The clearest explanation of data visualization I have come across.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Hard to recommend. The examples assume too much and explain too little.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. Two stars. The subject deserves a better treatment than this.