History of Information Graphics

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 discoveries into 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 Waldseemu¨ller’s famous world map, the meticulous nature studies of Ernst Haeckel, and many unknown treasures. Hot on the heels of the best-selling Information Graphics and 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. — ISBN13: 9783836567671