"Wordy", I have found, is a personal point of view situation. If you know the material, and/or agree with it, then its wordy. If you don't know the concepts then repetition makes the points more clearly. It depends on where your coming from.If you want concise take a look at my first book!
I don't think that pictures would be appropriate in the first chapter and I'm not suer where I would get those signals. I'm right out of cannons and kettle drums at the moment.