Book Reviews

I review mostly visualization-related books, but also some others that I find relevant. The list of topics I’m interested in also includes information graphics, perceptual psychology, writing, communication, storytelling, etc.

  • Review: Lupi, Posavec, Dear Data

    Review: Lupi, Posavec, Dear Data

    Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec have turned their Dear Data project into a book. It’s a great example of the kind of creative work you can do around visualization without computers, entirely by hand. What started with a simple idea turned into an amazing project.


  • Review: Munroe’s Thing Explainer and Pinker’s Sense of Style

    Review: Munroe’s Thing Explainer and Pinker’s Sense of Style

    Bad writing and the inability to explain in terms normal people can understand are the hallmarks of academic writing. Here are two books every academic should read and take to heart to be able to recognize bad prose and learn how to fix it.


  • Review: Kraak, Mapping Time

    Review: Kraak, Mapping Time

    Can you write an entire book about a single chart? Even if that chart is supposedly the best one ever? Menno-Jan Kraak’s new book, Mapping Time: Illustrated by Minard’s Map of Napoleon’s Russian Campaign of 1812, discusses the historical context of Minard’s work, his, life, and walks through a number of design exercises to show the same or similar data in different ways.