What do you think?
Rate this book
How Charts Work: Understand and explain data with confidence
How Charts Work
brings the secrets of effective data visualisation in a way that will help you bring data alive.
Charts, graphs and tables are essential devices in business, but all too often they present information poorly. This book will help
Feel confident understanding different types of charts, graphs and tables – and how to read them Recognise the true story behind the data presented and what the information really shows Know the principles and rules of how best to represent information so you can create your own information-driven (and beautiful) visuals Design visuals that people engage with, understand and act upon
Don't value design over information – present data persuasively.
Find the FT Chart Doctor's columns here -
Charts, graphs and tables are essential devices in business, but all too often they present information poorly. This book will help
Feel confident understanding different types of charts, graphs and tables – and how to read them Recognise the true story behind the data presented and what the information really shows Know the principles and rules of how best to represent information so you can create your own information-driven (and beautiful) visuals Design visuals that people engage with, understand and act upon
Don't value design over information – present data persuasively.
Find the FT Chart Doctor's columns here -
- GenresScience
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2022
14 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Alan Smith
379 books8 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 5, 2023
The Financial Times is a source of great data-driven stories told through data visualization. The Financial Times vocabulary poster is a simple yet comprehensive tool that helps many data visualization designers choose chart types that work better for each specific purpose.
This book, written by Alan Smith, who leads the FT’s newsroom team of data reporters and visual journalists, explains the reasoning behind the FT’s vocabulary and illustrates the vocabulary using well-designed FT charts and stories. Each example is based on an FT story and contains a link to the original FT article.
Alan explains what works better for what purpose and why. It’s not just a data visualization theory or a subjective essay, but years of experience in data storytelling for a wide audience and data visualization research.
This is a book that you’ll want to read once and then keep close at hand because you’ll need to reference it again and again when choosing how to tell a new data story.
Also, I am eager to follow every link available under every chart in the book to read the corresponding FT articles and review all the charts in detail.
To improve your data visualization literacy, print a large FT vocabulary poster, hang it on your wall and put this book on your table. Use them in your everyday data visualization work.
This book, written by Alan Smith, who leads the FT’s newsroom team of data reporters and visual journalists, explains the reasoning behind the FT’s vocabulary and illustrates the vocabulary using well-designed FT charts and stories. Each example is based on an FT story and contains a link to the original FT article.
Alan explains what works better for what purpose and why. It’s not just a data visualization theory or a subjective essay, but years of experience in data storytelling for a wide audience and data visualization research.
This is a book that you’ll want to read once and then keep close at hand because you’ll need to reference it again and again when choosing how to tell a new data story.
Also, I am eager to follow every link available under every chart in the book to read the corresponding FT articles and review all the charts in detail.
To improve your data visualization literacy, print a large FT vocabulary poster, hang it on your wall and put this book on your table. Use them in your everyday data visualization work.
April 9, 2023
Visual dictionary: Utilize a visual dictionary to familiarize myself with various chart types and choose the most appropriate ones for my data.
Dot plots and barbell plots: Use these chart types to effectively visualize and compare individual data points or ranges.
Chord charts: Employ chord charts to display complex quantitative relationships between multiple variables.
Sankey diagrams: Use Sankey diagrams to visualize the flow of data and the distribution of values across different categories.
Spine charts: Implement spine charts to represent ranked data with a clear hierarchy.
Chart titles: Ensure that my titles are engaging, simple, accurate, and include keywords for better searchability and comprehension.
Image format: Save chart images as .png or vector formats to maintain quality and scalability.
PolicyViz Excel sheets: Download and use these templates to enhance the presentation and organization of my data
Dot plots and barbell plots: Use these chart types to effectively visualize and compare individual data points or ranges.
Chord charts: Employ chord charts to display complex quantitative relationships between multiple variables.
Sankey diagrams: Use Sankey diagrams to visualize the flow of data and the distribution of values across different categories.
Spine charts: Implement spine charts to represent ranked data with a clear hierarchy.
Chart titles: Ensure that my titles are engaging, simple, accurate, and include keywords for better searchability and comprehension.
Image format: Save chart images as .png or vector formats to maintain quality and scalability.
PolicyViz Excel sheets: Download and use these templates to enhance the presentation and organization of my data
July 15, 2023
"[...] there is no such thing as a neutral chart. The decision to make a chart is an editorial decision - as is the decision NOT to make one".
Intriguing book on data visualisation by a guru in the field (the head of visual and data journalism at the Financial Times. The way you visualise data is often more important than data themselves.
Intriguing book on data visualisation by a guru in the field (the head of visual and data journalism at the Financial Times. The way you visualise data is often more important than data themselves.
November 12, 2022
A great book for professionals who make charts.
December 4, 2022
A great book about data viz, with plenty examples of good and bad chart examples. For me it brought a new perspective on how good design is also important to deliver the message.
February 24, 2023
A great guide to effective data visualization. Packed with examples, easy-to-follow explanations and tons of resources, this book is great for newbies and seasoned practitioners.
August 20, 2023
I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in visualizing data. Some highlights and quotes I took:
* “Just because an interesting fact is made of numbers, it doesn't mean we have to show it on a chart.”
* There is a good description of how chord diagram works and, especially, the perils of introducing a new chart to readers. “There will always be people who feel that all charts should be pies, bars and lines”. Is it possible to please everyone?
* I like his non dogmatic view of pie charts. “Rather than banning pie charts, the world's surfeit could be reduced by simply using more effective chart types in particular situations.”
* The chapter on maps was short and good. I makes a point about maps not being always the best solution for a visualization.
* Part 2 was good, especially the part about writing on charts and the case for annotations which I fully agree.
* “Just because an interesting fact is made of numbers, it doesn't mean we have to show it on a chart.”
* There is a good description of how chord diagram works and, especially, the perils of introducing a new chart to readers. “There will always be people who feel that all charts should be pies, bars and lines”. Is it possible to please everyone?
* I like his non dogmatic view of pie charts. “Rather than banning pie charts, the world's surfeit could be reduced by simply using more effective chart types in particular situations.”
* The chapter on maps was short and good. I makes a point about maps not being always the best solution for a visualization.
* Part 2 was good, especially the part about writing on charts and the case for annotations which I fully agree.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews