Information is Beautiful by David McCandless

This may be the most unique book club title we have explored. Information is Beautiful is a a collection of data visualizations. It is a controversial title in that readers either love it or question the data that visualizations are based on. Good Reads reviews vary widely in opinions of the book, and we think that will make for a great book club discussion.

Author David McCandless says: "My book and blog Information Is Beautiful is dedicated to visualizing ideas, issues, knowledge and data. All powered by my passion for discovering new patterns and stories in the seas of data swamping and surrounding us."

This will be a very different discussion in that we'll explore visuals together rather than read about theory. The Smart Data Collective says of the book that: "As is appropriate for a book aimed more at the coffee table than the academic library, Information is Beautiful comes with no explanation of the graphical idioms used. Nor does it come with any summary of conclusions or discussion of the implications drawn from the data or the visualization. It is more like the glossy book of fabulous beaches from around the world which contains little or no indication of where these places are or what is just out of sight, or lurking behind the scene."

This is a book stimulate thinking, and we are looking forward to where exploring such a book will lead our discussion. Come ready to talk about the visualizations that most inspired or challenged you.