One of Edward Tufte's seminal works.
I have long been a follower of Edward Tufte for his ability to represent information clearly and cogently as a graphical perfectionist. The style Mr. Tufte uses is what I believe children and adults should see when viewing information so they can both understand and make decisions regarding what they have learned. In this day and age of mass marketing freneticism, Mr. Tufte represents a clear, calm and thoughtful approach to data. Outside of Silicon Valley and most likely graphic/industrial design students and practitioners, Mr. Tufte is an unknown.
Not anymore. Mr. Tufte received a Presidential Appointment from President Obama. In the never ending battle for clarity and transparency, no one better can be found.
Since how we see something influences our interpretations and opinion, it is no wonder there is more and more work being put into a field of study around the process of how we choose something, namely the new book by Sheena Iyengar appropriately titled, The Art of Choosing. Daniel H. Pink wrote Drive which is also a look into how our mind processes what we see and evaluate.
It is not until I add The Hidden Brain by Shankar Vedantam that one starts to see a wholly different kind of picture emerge – one which is much more interesting and exciting than the mere written word or any graphical piece. The way in which we present information to our mind, also affects our unconscious. This is not some new phenomenon field of study; what is new would be the concept that giving people clear, accurate information has the power to affect what they think and how they interpret news around them.
All of the above being said, democracy (the U.S. version) should thrive if clarity prevails. Unfortunately, one persons clarity is another’s euphemism for subversion. This problem is what leads the House and Senate to lengthy debate in the name of what is right.
I can only hope as more and more Americans access the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, we are able to better influence our elected officials on what is the ‘will of the people’ instead of the verbosity of some elected leaders, which delay important decisions from being made.
Good luck Mr. Tufte – godspeed in helping us see the light of day.
Read Other Articles by Natalie Berkowitz:
Wishing Mr. Thorp (New Principle at Gashora Girls Academy in Rwanda) Well on His Journey
Other Conducive Articles:
Unwired: Why my kids aren’t plugged in
Threatened Sense of Moral Superiority Drives Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
Authors bio is coming up shortly.
[...] Thinking and Choosing or Thinking About Choosing [...]
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