That data is sucked into vast databases that are then used to sell you even more stuff. But in the hands of McCandless this vast data stream is shown in all its magnificence. He has taken the facts and numbers and made them beautiful, elegant and more importantly understandable. The range of subjects he has covered is vast too, there are maps of the internet, global spending, radiatio These days we are surrounded by data, every transaction online or in a shop is recorded, processed and analysed.
The range of subjects he has covered is vast too, there are maps of the internet, global spending, radiation charts, popular books, DNA, the evolution of computers, drugs, religion, alcohol, coffee, google search terms and many many more. All are shown in the most relevant form to aid clarity.
Some of the graphical layouts are magnificent, cleverly constructed to portray the maximum amount of information clearly. It doesn't have a huge amount of text, just information. Lots and lots and lots of information. Well worth a look if you are interested in this type of thing, but not up to the standard of of of Tufte's masterpieces.
While I can't help but subconciously evaluate a book for factual content and question the data he chooses to display, even in a book on design, I thoroughly love this work. Too often we're left with a pie chart, a bar graph, or a table to explain all of the data in the world, and McCandless does an admirable job at tackling the dissemination of information in new and engaging ways.
Mar 05, Melissainau rated it it was amazing Shelves: data-visualisation. Reviewing before I mark this as "read" because this is a book to dip in and out of.
David McCandless is a graphic designer who compiled I can't quite say "wrote" - it's really more "designed" this book as a means of exploring - and demonstrating - how to make information "approachable and beautiful" by presenting it visually. The ultimate coffee table book for visual thinkers, it will keep you busy for hours on end.
You don't so much read this book as study it. I picked up this book a few years ago because I'd heard good things about it, and went through it earlier this month.
When I got it I had in mind that it might give me some ideas for custom graphics and diagrams in reports, and it did. It did more than that too. Obviously the main reason why you display data visually is to make it quick and easy to comprehend. The many examples in this book demonstrate this very well.
However, perhaps it's the vast nu You don't so much read this book as study it. However, perhaps it's the vast number of pieces, one after another, but this book makes clear another truth as well - that well-designed graphics can not only make comprehension quicker, it can make it better too. I've never really thought so.
I have a pretty good grounding in science and math, I try to lead a data-driven life. So I figured I was a guy that could take the time and "really understand" a table, chart, list, whatever. And I can. But at its best this book shows the power of visual information.
The very first example in the book pp. Pages displays the enormity of information in the DNA genome. Pages are the best chart I've ever seen comparing radiation dosages.
These are just examples, but each demonstrates its point in a way that makes it more quickly understandable, yes, but also more understandable, especially in relating parts to the whole. There is no theme to the the information here. Instead we have a wonderful demonstration of ways to display information, many of which, back to my original intent, could be modified and re-purposed into other data sets. I recommend this book - to people that need to design these sorts of graphics, to anyone looking for fresh ideas on graphical data, and to artists looking for inspirational links to the world of science and information.
Oh, and to the layman too - if you're a trivia hound curious about new things, you'll find a lot of them here. First, I question most of the data sources. Some were stated clearly enough that I understood what biases might be inherent in them, but others I would have to look up online, and I'm too lazy when I have the book right here. Second, it's nice to see information visualization from a different viewpoint than I normally approach it. My job is to display unknown data as accurately as possible, without guessing the user's purpose or pushing an agenda.
This book approaches visualization as an art. The First, I question most of the data sources. Thus color is a bit overused, and some inefficient layouts and labeling mechanisms are used to emphasize the story or change the overall look.
Sometimes this works out fine, and other times it really doesn't work for me. There were several graphics where I simply gave up trying to read the data, let alone figure out a pattern of interest. Most of them are good enough, though, and nearly all of them are quite pleasant for a casual glance.
Some even provoked a chuckle. Good coffee table book. Could spark some interesting discussions. A book with a variety of infographics, ranging from idiosyncratic details about dictators' wives, to excerpts from "searches for phrases beginning with "I want" on popular dating sites one which includes "to make my Master happy sir" and atrocious misspellings like "meet a waman for sex and maiby more" A book with a variety of infographics, ranging from idiosyncratic details about dictators' wives, to excerpts from "searches for phrases beginning with "I want" on popular dating sites one which includes "to make my Master happy sir" and atrocious misspellings like "meet a waman for sex and maiby more" Jun 29, Lucy rated it really liked it.
I love it except some pages had too many words for what they were tryna do and some I couldn't understand bc i'm stupid: but apart from that they were all super pretty and had mostly super interesting info I love it except some pages had too many words for what they were tryna do and some I couldn't understand bc i'm stupid: but apart from that they were all super pretty and had mostly super interesting info Pretty good, works well in monochrome.
But often approached more factoid territory, and I think when looking at a small screen the visual element is not as compensating. We live in a visual society, inundated with unimaginable amounts of data on a daily basis. It makes sense to process data in a visual way. I find his work endlessly fascinating. It would be really interesting to adapt some of his infographic into the classroom in some ways.
Nov 09, Woody rated it did not like it. What a disappointment! It's garbage. I am so sorry I supported it by buying it not checking the reviews before. Incorrect data in many places. Some nonsensical infographics. Unreliable sources. Some of the parts are nice, to be fair, but altogether I find it a shameful piece. Shelves: spiritual , social-justice , politics , medical , animals. This is, indeed, an amazing book!
It shows, in infographic form, a wealth of information about our world. In cases of highly-debatable topics, such as religion and climate change, it offers a fair representation of both sides! Dec 24, Sam rated it liked it. Fonts are explicitly listed and drawn! The Consensus one of those debates , Nature vs. Nurture, Death Spiral if only those circles were not such The Visual Miscellaneum book is colorful and whimsical. Certain pages definitely struck my interest more than others.
Yet some of the information is disorganized, hard to read, and perplexing to interpret. Many of the pages are based on subjective perceptions of Mr.
McCandless - as an example, delineating on a picture of the highest grossing films out of Hollywood a line marked "Worth Watching" where Mr. McCandless decided which films were worth viewing. Many other pages deal with political them The Visual Miscellaneum book is colorful and whimsical. Many other pages deal with political themes that opens up to a subjective interpretation and representation of those themes.
I enjoyed the whimsy of Mr. McCandless' book project, but am glad I simply loaned this book from the library rather than purchase it for myself. There are many other coffee-table books on the market that would be better enjoyed. Jul 04, Andrew Ives rated it really liked it Shelves: favourites. This it does with varying degrees of success. On the whole, I found this book surprisingly interesting, intelligent and informative, very tastefully laid out, well printed and imaginatively compiled.
Jun 26, An Te rated it liked it. A book with interesting infographics and in essence a book about the world order. A book not to be read but to inspire.
It has been helpful to guide in the stage of presenting information to a wider audience. Nothing to inspire in visionary, ethical or religious terms, thus the star rating, but it serves its purpose to present fascinating information on a range of topic areas from musical hits to CO2 emissions.
Sure would like to speak with the author about some of his assessments. Surely, t A book with interesting infographics and in essence a book about the world order. Surely, the second coming isn't highly improbable but a certainty?
How is injustice going to be resolved, if this is not the case? Not bad, and very pretty, by McCandless is clearly a designer, not an infovis guy, and some of his visualization choices showed it.
In addition to a number of visualizations that are only moderately more useful than a table of data seriously, just showing a picture of the thing the data is about? Still, very Not bad, and very pretty, by McCandless is clearly a designer, not an infovis guy, and some of his visualization choices showed it. Still, very pretty, and a good overview of many different types of visualization. Visually stunning and a few interesting things of note. Unfortunately, this book is VERY British which looses something in the translation as I am sure you will find out when reading.
It also have several factual errors for a book that is this new. It also is VERY confusing and has left things out i. If you are a trivia buff like I am there are numerous books better than this one unless you can find a copy in the dollar Visually stunning and a few interesting things of note. If you are a trivia buff like I am there are numerous books better than this one unless you can find a copy in the dollar bin. If you like looking at graphs, learning new information or visually pleasing composition, Information is Beautiful is well worth your time.
Spreads cover a multitude of topics, from the ingredients of coffee beverages to the varieties of romantic relationships to the meanings of colors to different cultures around the world. This edition was revised for so some information may be a bit dated; but it is well worth the look.
Love trivia? Gearing up for a Jeopardy session? Love miscellany facts but don't want to actually read about them? Then this book is for you! Full of miscellany facts and told in a visual and colorful format, this was truly engaging.
Find out which fish are okay to eat or cures for hangovers from various parts of the world hint, I am glad I am not Romanian!
A word cloud is NOT an adequate visualization. Many of these were convoluted visuals or based on wacky sources, attempting to provide a quick visual overview to "data". Some were quite well done -- the majority were failures in making sense of data. View 2 comments. Should have been a short story version -- a few graphics were quite well done, but most left something to be desired hard to interpret, no key, false information, opinion, etc.
Dec 19, Michael rated it it was ok. I've seen this book around for a while and finally gave into purchasing a copy.
It is a new edition revised in It's got some fun facts and graphics. And some of the topics and graphics are engaging. However, despite being a new edition, it still contains glaring issues. The book doesn't put its strongest forward, and the first graphic is hard to understand.
In many cases the author leaves out legends. Produces graphics that don't present data in the most intuitive manner. Every single visualisation is paired with an open dataset. And most will eventually sport an interactive version, thanks to our forthcoming VizSweet software. So stay tuned Twitter Facebook email. In fact, if you like the look of it, could I request that you pre-order the book? If we get enough clicks, we may be able to get the first infographic book EVER in the bestsellers list.
I could not have done this without the amazing team here at IIB. Knowledge is Beautiful, my new book. Have a look inside. Until then, feel free to order a copy.
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