I went to one of these talks 10 years ago as a student and it was well worth the cost. If you read the link, you'll see you get all 4 of his books (hardcover) as part of the $140. So basically for less than the price you'd pay on Amazon, you get the entire collection and get to hear a lecture from one of the smartest guys on the planet. Also, if the program hasn't changed you'll get to see some copies of books that belonged to Newton and Gallileo. Best $140 a nerd can spend.
Tufte's in person presentations are pretty disappointing IMO. Better to spend your money on one of his books and read it aloud to yourself in the mirror, which is about the same level of engagement you'd get from sitting through his course in person.
I agree. If the books make it worth it to you, then by all means, but apart from getting to gape at his very expensive antique books, I didn't get much more out of seeing him live than I got from his books.
Are his presentations disappointing because he's the world's pre-eminent name in presenting visual data and you wouldn't be impressed by anything short of having information downloaded, Matrix-style, directly into your brain? Or are they actually disappointing compared to other presentations, providing strong evidence that his books and theories are highly overrated?
