A filterable chart of dataviz books that we think everyone should read.

We excluded books about specific tools or programming concepts, but you’ll find them in the full datasheet.

Crowdsourced with the help of the Data Visualization Society

Did we miss any? Send a suggestion.

» Check out our recommendations

I’ve been vegetarian for 26 years. Never managed to make the leap to vegan though. Cheese and eggs. Cheese and eggs. I’m working on it.

Here’s my motivational breakdown:

It’s been interesting to witness the abrupt mainstreaming of vegan and plant-based diets in recent years. But less interesting to have so many friends suddenly start lecturing me how cruel the meat industry is, how unhealthy red meat is, how environmentally damaging. Thank! You!

More striking is the amount of people who’ve said:

“Have you seen it? What the Health? The vegan documentary on Netflix. OMG. You gotta see it.”

So I did. I watched the What The Health documentary on Netflix, directed by Kip Andersen (sorry, SEO).

It is powerful, moving and shocking without being gory or alienating. But my journalistic spidey-sense started pulsing as I watched it. It’s kinda too powerful. Too certain of itself. Too sure. Some of the facts raised the BS-detecting hairs on the back of my neck.

So I gathered the team and we dove in to produce an interactive scene-by-scene, fact-by-fact visual analysis of the documentary. Have a play to see how true the film is.

SPOILER: it’s a mix. Classic misinformation-age / post-truth fare. There’s chunks of truth, some misleading facts, a few outright falsehoods, some very old science, some recent science. All intermixed. Blended into a modern smoothie. Tastes good, feels healthy, but who knows what’s hidden in the ingredients list?

Well, we do now.

It’s saddening because the scientific evidence is in, and vegans are right. Plant-based diets are a choice for good – health, emissions, animal welfare, land use, kindness. Every way you look at it, vegans, you are ethically correct. So please – there’s no need to lie.

» See the interactive
» Read the data

Rejoice! The Information is Beautiful Awards are now open for 2019.

It’s our eighth year celebrating the planet’s most awesome information design and we have $27,500 in cash prizes to give away, courtesy of our wonderful sponsor Kantar. Twenty-five expert judges, plus a public vote, will decide who takes home our coveted, 3D-printed trophy.

We have gold, silver and bronze awards in ten different categories plus six special prizes awarded by the judging panel.

As usual, students and public whose work has not been professionally commissioned / published enter free. Studios / agencies, NGOs and media pay to submit work. Previous winners have gone on to land new clients, book deals, investment and jobs with hot startups.

Any piece created between 1st June 2018 and 30 August 2019 is eligible, as long as you have not entered it in any previous Information is Beautiful Awards.

Entries close 30 August 2019, 11:59pm PST
Longlist released 17 September 2019
Shortlist released and public voting begins 1 October 2019
Winners announced at our ceremony in London at the end of November 2019

What is natural gas? Where does methane gas come from? Is methane a greenhouse gas? How much methane do cows produce?

All these questions are answered by our comprehensive methane cycle infographic.

» Methane explained
» See the data

Tickets are selling fast for our NYC workshop on 18 June.

David McCandless, founder of Information is Beautiful, offers you training on his process and method for creating successful dataviz and infographics.

Participants have described it as “awesome”, “amazing” and “one of the best I’ve attended” (check out more workshop feedback).

» Get your ticket now
» Other upcoming workshops

To prevent climate change climate breakdown and keep global warming global heating below 3–4 degrees celsius, we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy – globally.

Here’s a graphical blueprint on how we might get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Created in association with New Internationalist Magazine.

» How to cut carbon emissions to zero
» See the data

What do you like about Information is Beautiful? What could we do more of? Who exactly are you, beautiful follower?

We’re running a two-minute visitor survey to find out more. Include your email address for a chance to win a signed copy of Information is Beautiful. Thank you!

Julia Galef’s original map of the San Francisco “Bay Area Memespace” reworked and redesigned.

Visualizing the ideas and subcultures that pervade San Francisco / Silicon Valley, and now the world.

» check out the reworking
» see the original graphic and commentary at JuliaGalef.com