Better Data Visualizations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks (2021), by Jonathan Schwabish (Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute and Founder of PolicyViz) provides a comprehensive introduction to data visualization that has something for everyone, whether you are just starting in data visualization or are a seasoned pro. Schwabish’s conversational style makes for easy[…]
Numbers enjoy an aura of objectivity and precision unwarranted by their origins. They are always products of human judgment, even the numbers that seem to spring from computers untouched by humans. Counting – How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters (2020), by Deborah Stone (MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning), examines the process[…]
Design for Information: An introduction to the histories, theories, and best practices behind effective information visualizations, was written by Isabel Meirelles in 2013. Meirelles, who is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Design at Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University in Toronto, Canada, wrote the book when she was at Northeastern University. […]
Masking up during COVID-19 has been the responsible thing to do and a staple of the past year. Even with the availability of a vaccine, the virus will continue to be a presence. Wearing a mask makes a statement that you are looking out for your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Masks also make a[…]
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World, by Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, delivers a thoughtful introduction to critical thinking for the serious reader. Its provocative title is clearly intended to attract readership. After all, how many people would pick up a book simply named for the subtitle, The Art of Skepticism[…]
Data Feminism (2020) by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein provides an important perspective about data and power. Those in power use data, intentionally or unintentionally, to maintain the status quo and oppress marginalized people. Yet data is a two-edged sword and those without power can use it to challenge the status quo. While inspired[…]
Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals (2015) by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic is the current #1 Bestseller in Information Management on Amazon for good reason. The book is a clear guide to chart design, helping readers move quickly from basic graphs to engaging and informative displays. Knaflic’s software-agnostic book will benefit all[…]
This is the second in a series of book reviews about data dashboards. In the first review, we looked at Information Dashboard Design: Displaying data for at-a-glance monitoring by Stephen Few. The Big Book of Dashboards: Visualizing Your Data Using Real-World Business Scenarios (2017) is the perfect complement to Stephen Few’s Information Dashboard Design. While[…]
2020 is the year of the dashboard! This is not because dashboards are new, but rather their use has exploded as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University remains the most popular dashboard, recording more than 4.5 billion views in a[…]
For the last academic year, we worked with researchers from the University of Virginia to use the Internet of Things in examining air quality in the City of Charlottesville. We were honored to do this work as part of the capstone program at the UVA School of Data Science. The team, led by students James[…]