Description: 31p., illustrated with photos and figures (some in color) and of course graphs, coated paperstock throughout, 11 x 8.5 inch wraps, lower cover has a corner crease. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Graphics Press
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780961392161ISBN:0961392169
Description: New. The textbook professionals. Ships in 24 hours. (Not including weekends or holidays) Ship within continental USA only. Restocking fee may apply on returns. read more
"What's your Microsoft rage trigger? For years mine used to be the loathsome paper-clip assistant - it seemed like a perfect symbol of Microsoft's sneeringly obvious contempt for their users. Eventually, the continuing forced exposure to PowerPoint at my job became an irritant as well. There'd be days when I'd have to suffer through half a dozen PowerPoint presentations by my colleagues. Weeks where I'd end up having to prepare three or four slideshows of my own. This gave me plenty of opportunity to ponder just what a lame-assed piece of garbage PowerPoint was, to consider its various deficiencies and to despair at its insidious ubiquity throughout corporate America. It wasn't so much that PowerPoint triggered explosive rage - it was more of an ongoing slow burn.
So Professor Tufte's wicked evisceration of the program in this (very) slim pamphlet definitely struck a chord. Tufte argues that presentations developed using Powerpoint are more likely to suffer the following deficiencies:
" Inadequate resolution - not enough detail provided " Important assumptions unstated or ambiguous " Dumbed down content " Complexity of arguments not adequately captured " Data presented in a way that is unhelpful (and often misleading)
He supports his argument with three main case studies -
" the slide presentation made to NASA officials who had to make important decisions during the final flight of the space shuttle Columbia (infamously, legitimate safety concerns expressed by the engineering group did not survive the PowerPoint treatment, which sanitized them out of existence, with deadly consequences) " what PowerPoint would make of the Gettysburg address " the horror that can result from applying PowerPoint templates for statistical graphics to a straightforward table of relative cancer survival rates
His obvious relish at pointing out some of the worst excesses of Powerpoint in no way undermines the validity of his objections. Furthermore, as this pamphlet only runs to 28 pages, don't expect detailed advice on how to do things better.
Nonetheless, it is fun to watch him take down PowerPoint. Given the ubiquity of dreadful PowerPoint presentations in the workplace, this pamphlet should be required remedial reading for everyone."
"This essay put words to the gut dislike I've always had for Powerpoint presentations. I'd have liked to see proposed solutions for the problems Tufte pointed out - perhaps you have to buy one of his books for that."
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