This book presents an entertaining collection of diagrams, graphics, and visual instructions for tackling the problems of everyday life which baffle us all. It includes such tricky examples as how to tie a bow tie whilst looking in a mirror, and what instructions to give people for the emergency evacuation of an aeroplane. Mijksenaar and Westendorp achieve much of their effect from the vibrant colour reproductions of instructional design with which the book is packed.
Every page is a visual treat.
There's also an interesting historical overview which shows the presentation of instructions going from realistic photos or drawings of whole objects in the nineteenth century, to more recent depictions which tend to focus on specific parts or functions. However, applying the principles they espouse to the book itself reveals a weakness as far as the serious sector of their potential market is concerned. In addition, they don't always make a clear distinction between the good and bad examples, and I was disappointed that they didn't provide a bibliography, because the book is obviously based on a lot of research. They also make little distinction between simple diagrams produced for the lay user and those expanded technical illustrations of cross-sections through a car engine which are produced for engineers. But then, this variety adds to the book's visual appeal.