Tufte deals with visual information more from the artistic point of view than from the mathematical one. His book includes many examples of sophisticated diagrams, maps, timetables, and travel guides. The material varies widely: from travel information through biology, zoology, chemistry, machinery, astronomy, statistics, newspapers, numeric data presentation, history, and dancing. The author outlines remarkable ideas in describing information visually--ideas that go back centuries. Many examples are taken from Japan and China. I was pleased to see a timetable from Czechoslovakia in the book. It reminded me of a direct railway wagon map I saw many years ago, which was also produced in Czechoslovakia before the Second World War. The author shows how carefully visual information was designed decades and even centuries ago. Special attention is paid to the use of colors. Briefly speaking, the book is on the aesthetics of information, and will be refreshing and uplifting for the computer specialist. It is perfectly designed and perfectly printed.