In some circles Tufte's name is mentioned in reverence. I took a phd course called statistical visualization. I thought the prof would orgasm every time he said the guy's name. One of my buddies at work - a cartographer - said he had a prof who was the same way. I can recognize the guy's a genius, and he's got important stuff to say, but a lotta time I sensed there must be more to what he was saying that what I was reading.

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