Part 2 is the heart of the book. The core Diagrams are divided into six groups: (1) MAPPING THE BUSINESS (System Maps, Mind Maps), (2) RELATIONSHIP AND INFLUENCE (Relationship, Tree, Influence), (3) CONTROL IN BUSINESS (Input/Output, Control), (4) CAUSATION (Multiple Cause, Fishbone [also called Ishikawa], Sign), (5) CHANGE (Force-field, Window), (6) FLOW (Flow, Ring).
Many of the diagrams have multiple instances. For example, flow diagrams can take the form of flow process, blocks, algorithms (flow charts) or network diagrams. Likewise, window diagrams take on many different forms, including strength/weakness/opportunity/threat (SWOT), quad matrices (such as the "Boston Matrix"). This extends the 14 core diagrams into many more because of the variations, with all of the major ones discussed in this book.
What I especially like is the way the author presents each diagram: overview of the diagram, business application, business purpose and summary and conventions. When variations are discussed, such as a critical path network diagram derived from a flow, the same treatment is given.
As I read through this book familiarizing myself with these basic tools I discovered that my primary software tool, Visio, contained stencil sets for many of these diagrams, including Mind Mapping, SWOT Fishbone and many more. I also liked the final part of the book because it contains valuable advice on managing information with the core diagrams - especially developing diagrams that convey information instead of resulting in information overload. The chapter on diagramming theory and some of its pitfalls was also excellent. Finally, Appendices A and B, only two pages, are incredibly useful because they map the core diagrams to themes (Appendix A) and to management activity (Appendix B). These make selecting the right tool for the right job easy, and their inclusion is a nice touch of added value.
I cannot praise this book highly enough. It has quickly become one of my most valuable tools and has also enlightened me on a number of issues and factors related to effectively selecting and using diagrams. It merits 5 stars!