I just picked up a copy of Data Flow, a 200+ page anthology of data visualization examples from around the world, and I can’t put it down. The collection is deep and wide, from the playful (pictured) to the abstract (meandering lines of measurement representing the meandering prose of Kerouac’s On the Road) to the narrative (a comic-influenced non-linear story of lives intersecting).

Even better, the book is light on words, save for the concise and insightful intro, a few choice interviews, and five thematic chapter titles — Datasphere, Datascape, Datanoid, Datalogy, and Datablocks. Simple as they may sound, these titles help make sense the vast world of information design by identifying the most common metaphors by which designers communicate complexity. An inspiring and informative reference.

Sam Cannon