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Books : reviews

Alberto Cairo.
The Functional Art: an introduction to information graphics and visualization.
New Riders. 2013

Unlike any time before in our lives, we have access to vast amounts of free information. With the right tools, we can start to make sense of all this data to see patterns and trends that would otherwise be invisible to us. By transforming numbers into graphical shapes, we allow readers to understand the stories those numbers hide. In this practical introduction to understanding information graphics, you'll learn how to use them as tools to see beyond lists of numbers and variables and achieve new insights into the complex world around us. Regardless of the kind of data you’re working with—business, science, politics, sports, or even your own personal finances—this book will show you how to use statistical charts, maps, and explanation diagrams to spot the stories in the data and learn more from them.

The first book to offer a broad, hands-on introduction to information graphics and visualization, The Functional Art reveals:

• Why data visualization should be thought of as “functional art” rather than fine art
• How to use color, type, and other graphic tools to make your information graphics more effective, not just better looking
• The science of how our brains perceive and remember information
• Best practices for creating interactive information graphics
• A comprehensive look at the creative process behind successful information graphics
• An extensive gallery of inspirational work from the world’s top designers and visual artists

Alberto Cairo.
The Truthful Art: data, charts, and maps for communication.
New Riders. 2016

No matter what your actual job title, you are—or soon will be—a data worker. Every day, at work, home, and school, we are bombarded with vast amounts of free data collected and shared by everyone and everything from our co-workers to our calorie counters. In this highly anticipated follow-up to The Functional Art—Alberto Cairo’s foundational guide to understanding information graphics and visualization—the respected data visualization professor explains in clear terms how to work with data, discover the stories hidden within, and share those stories with the world in the form of charts, maps, and infographics.

Alberto Cairo.
How Charts Lie: getting smarter about visual information.
Norton. 2019

Today, public conversations are increasingly driven by numbers. While charts, infographics, and diagrams can make us smarter, they can also deceive—intentionally or unintentionally. To be informed citizens, we must all be able to decode and use the visual information that politicians, journalists, and even our employers present us with each day. Demystifying an essential new literacy for our data-driven world, How Charts Lie examines contemporary examples ranging from election result infographics to global GDP maps and box office record charts, and includes an updated afterword on the graphics of the COVID-19 pandemic.