In the age of big data and digital distribution, when news travel ever further and faster and media outlets compete for a fleeting slice of online attention, information graphics have swept center stage. At once nuanced and neat, they
distill abstract ideas, complex statistics, and cutting-edge discoveriesinto succinct, compelling, and masterful designs. Cartographers, programmers, statisticians, designers, scientists, and journalists have developed a new field of expertise in visualizing knowledge
.This XL-sized compendium explores the history of data graphics
from the Middle Ages right through to the digital era. Curated by
Sandra Rendgen, some
400 milestones span astronomy, cartography, zoology, technology, and beyond. Across medieval manuscripts and parchment rolls, elaborate maps, splendid popular atlasses, and early computer-based information design, we systematically break down each work’s historical context, including such highlights as Martin Waldseemüller’s famous world map, the meticulous nature studies of
Ernst Haeckel, and many unknown treasures.
Hot on the heels of the best-selling
Information Graphicsand
Understanding the World, this third volume fills the gap as
an unprecedented reference book for data freaks, designers, historians, and anyone thirsty for knowledge. An enthralling exploration into the teachings, research, and lives of generations past.
