Ways of Seeing was a TV series originally broadcast in 1972 based on the writing of John Berger. It later developed into the Penguin publication that has become synonymous with art education.

The series and book questions traditional aesthetics by raising questions about hidden ideologies in visual images, quite simply it makes the viewer think about meaning and ultimately leads them to question the visible. It is as relevant today as it has ever been, and perhaps even more so. We have come to exist within a world of images and media and it is more important than ever that we question our existence in relation to contemporary aesthetics.

If you look beyond the awkward delivery of early television production and dismiss distant school memories of educational VHS recordings (certain generations only) it is easy to accept that the thought-provoking analysis excedes the majority of content delivered on the multitude of channels that we have available today. In this case it is fair to say they don't make them like they used to.

A more insightful critique alongside all four episodes can be viewed on the following link http://ubu.com/film/berger_seeing.html.

One member of the team that put the book together was Richard Hollis, a hugely influential Graphic Designer who has gone on to design the visual identity for the Whitechapel Art Gallery and more recently Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style, 1920-1965.

The Great Day of His Wrath – Possibly the most awe-inspiring lightning storm that I have ever seen and all from the best possible vantage point. Not, however the best time to be at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

In the infinitive – Whilst studying at the RCA in 2000, sitting on the library floor, flicking through the pages of Eye Magazine I first discovered Richard Hamilton's and Ecke Bonk's 1999 typotranslation of Marcel Duchamp's White Box: In the infinitive.

This book perfectly reflects Duchamp's practice by centralizing word and language in the process of image creation, image and word in reciprocating unity. At the time this relationship was central to personal practice and my own images could not manifest without first rigorous exploration of language.

However, it was this subtle publication that first introduced me to the world of typographic form and the possibility to communicate meaning with typography beyond the written content alone, – text not only as visual and aesthetic language but typographic form as a reflection of conceptual and personal thought.

Every small typographic detail exudes meaning. Variations of typeface, tone and colour can simulate changes in the writing medium; preserving the deletions and insertions reveals the development of ideas – even erratic spacing and punctuation can contribute to our understanding of the flow of thought.

To date In the infinitive has only been available in the 1999 first edition and with little promise of a second edition I had all but given up on the opportunity of purchasing this sublime printed work. That is until I recently managed to find a pristine original copy in the South London Gallery bookshop.

The First Six Books of The Elements of Euclid by Oliver Byrne, republished beautifully and affordably by Taschen as a facsimile of the 1847 version. Featured as a continuation of the Edward R. Tufte post, I would like to take this opportunity to showcase a book featured in Envisioning Information 1990.

I have recently been working on some drawings of manicured topiary bushes and it was necessary for me to fall back upon my vague recollection of basic trigonometry combined with online tutorials to work out how the shadows should fall. Despite studying A Level Mathematics I never really got to grips with the topic and I genuinely believe that Byrne's engaging and predominantly visual explanation in which coloured diagrams and symbols are used instead of letters for the greater ease of learners would have attributed to a far greater understanding of maths and its applications. Still, it is never too late to learn.

Brocante Livres Anciens Cartes Postales took place in Paris' Village Saint Paul last weekend and I managed to pick up an array of exciting material at this emphemeral flea market. Purchases included a 4 colour stone lithographic print, 3 Graphis Annuals (including dust jackets) from the 50's and early 60's, a home made greetings card and a watercolour portrait of a cat. I will be posting some of these in the future, but in the meantime here are some printed cards which came free with 'the most powerful of tonics, the perfect palatable and digestible drink to aid all of those suffering from stomach pains and those having difficulty digesting'. Lovely.

Edward R. Tufte is a seminal statistician who has written extensively on the subject of information design. His books The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative and Beautiful Evidence explore visual literacy and look at the visual communication of information. For many years these books have been at the forefront of a graphic design student's sensibilities. However Tufte's extensive investigation into visual language can do nothing but benefit anyone who has any intention of communicating meaning through images.

The Do Lectures – Ideas that inspire action, are a series of lectures by doers supposedly acting as the catalyst for non-doers to do. The Doers come from all walks of life and have an extremely diverse sets of skills and interests.

"To go find your cause to fight, your company to start, your invention to invent, your book to write, your mountain to climb. The one thing the Doers of the world Do, apart from Do amazing things, is to inspire the rest of us to go and Do amazing things too. They are fire-starters." David & Clare Hieatt

The Do Lectures invite people to speak and some people pay a lot to listen. The event takes place in a quiet corner of Wales and I think from this year in California as well. The good news is that the lectures are available online and below is one of my favourite's from Geoff McFetridge.