Category: Learning

I follow and really like Nathan Yau. His site FlowingData.com is a great resource for Data Visualization inspiration. Below is his reading list for during the crisis:

Making Charts

Books specifically about making and using charts…

• Info We Trust by RJ Andrews — Unique because Andrews hand-drew all of the examples himself.
• Data Visualisation by Andy Kirk — It’s next up with the Datavis Book Club.
• Designer’s Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams by Nigel Holmes — I bought a used copy a while back for a couple of dollars. I’ve always admired Holmes’ style.
• Wordless Diagrams by Nigel Holmes — Got this one too, pretty much for the price of shipping.
• Elevate the Debate edited by Jonathan A. Schwabish — A practical guide aimed at communicating technical research to a wider audience.

Statistics

Making sense of numbers…

• Factfulness by Hans Rosling — I’ve heard many good things. Probably first up in my queue.
• Exploratory Data Analysis by John Tukey — It’s an outdated textbook but it’s historically rich. I’ve never read it cover-to-cover.
• How Charts Lie by Alberto Cairo — So important these days.
• Understanding data and statistics in the medical literature by Jeffrey Leek, Lucy D’Agostino McGowan, and Elizabeth Matsui

Development

Some code…

• R Packages by Hadley Wickham — I know the basics, but I should know more.
• The Book of R by Tilman M. Davies — A big, fat reference.
• Some visualization with Python book. I’ve seen some books, but is there a well-regarded reference?

Design

Outside visualization, but applicable…

• The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero — Got this years and years ago. I will assume it has aged like a fine wine.
• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman — Charts are everyday things.
• Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things by Don Norman
• Understanding Comics by Sott McCloud — Telling stories visually. Sounds familiar.

Inspiration

To think about various visual forms…

• History of Information Graphics by Sandra Rendgen and Julius Wiedemann — This is a giant book with giant pictures.
• All Over the Map by Betsy Mason and Greg Miller — The stories behind the visuals always make the picture more interesting.
• How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe — I admire Munroe’s ability to explain things with stick figures and clear diagrams.
• Math With Bad Drawings by Ben Orlin — Again, interested in the process more than I am in the material.