Phew. We’ve all survived the london design festival and i don’t know about you, but i’m exhausted!
Highlights for me were many, but a big one was that i finally got to meet my blogging pal holly, who has come to stay with me and is here till tomorrow.
When i introduced the my library category i announced it a monthly column. As i love books so much and to keep it (sometimes) ‘hot of the press’, i will from time to time increase these posts.
Today i’d like to introduce you to a newly published book i totally geek over. Apologies for the ‘drooling’ and ‘geekiness’ in advance.
Around the world – the atlas for today is a visual feast for the mind, published by the brilliant gestalten. Now, i’m a big believer in visual learning. There is nothing like it. Give children and adults visual stimulus when trying to teach and they immediately form associations in their brains. A purely text-based piece of information, in my opinion, cannot compete.
The atlas for today is a comprehensive compilation of infographics that show us snippets of the world we live in. You’ll find the atlas divided into sections. There’s ‘the place we call home’, ‘living together’, ‘the days the earth stood still’, ‘the good life’, ‘fear and loathing’, ‘money makes the world go round’, ‘the world is not enough’ and ‘our greatest ideas’.
I’ve always been fascinated by infographics and even enrolled in a skillshare class on this very topic. Apparently, the title for designers of inforgraphics is ‘visual journalist’. I rather fancy that!
What makes this book different (i have many books on infographics) is the way it tells a comprehensive story and helps us to relate to ourselves and to each other in today’s world. More than just a visual feast filled with information, it has a narrative i’ve not seen before in this genre of book. It makes me want to engage and know everything i can about this beautiful, complex and complicated world! In the foreword it reads:
“As a compilation, this book could be a time capsule for future generations, or the text sent out into space to explain planet earth to alien life. This is the world that we live in, beautiful and complicated, drawn out and explained. Take a good look”.
I am in love with this book and hope it has inspired you a little. Excuse me while i carry on the ‘drooling’.
Do you love these kind of books? Have you got any you can share with us?
25 Comments
This is actually the first time I see one up close. How cool! I can hardly recall life before the infographics. Nowadays people even draft their resume in an infographic. Visual content is taking over the textual. On the one hand disturbing because it concerns me how kids will learn and function when they grow up. On the other hand it’s an evolutionary process we have to accept. The Egyptians and cave men also communicated by drawing after all, so if that is the way it should be…
Woman, gte yourself this book. It is truly amazing. I have many but this pone tops them all!
“Visual content is taking over the textual.” so true..
I first met Tony Buzan, the founder of Mind Maps, at a workshop he was giving. I never forget when I realised that this stuff makes so much sense. Learning through association is the best method to retain information.
Ha. yes, the Egyptians and cavemen surely did!!!
What a cool book. Little M would love it. He’s always asking me those questions that I can’t answer like how many men are there in the world? what is the largest thing you’ve ever seen. OK, I know the book won’t answer the latter question but this book is perfect for him, will certainly stop me looking silly 😉 xx
G, seriously, if I had kids I would also not be able to answer all the questions they fire at you.
I think the whole family would benefit from this book:-) x
Omg!
I LOVE it and all of these types of books!!
I’m sure you know of Edward Tuffte (sp) who more or less started the whole movement.
Thanks!
Yeah, I knew you would….
I did know about but thank you for sending the link so that all my readers can benefit from this.
Merci Carol x
Voila!
http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/
Yes, I love these books. For a while my children were obsessed with those cross-section books, which you could look at for hours. Things like a cross-section of the Titanic, or a medieval castle. Absolutely brilliant, but very heavy to carry home from the library.
Oh, yes, the cross-section books. How many hours have I spent looking at those. I’m also obsessed with pop-up books!
This tome is mighty heavy, be prepared!!
What a cool book, I love info-graphics and agree with Geraldine that we should probably get one for the kids (so we can borrow it) Brilliant and I love your monthly book column. You are so smart;-)
Axx
Hahaha! believe me, I’m only smart because I have all these books.. no trick, I promise!
Thank you. Many great books in store – that’s why I’m no longer restricting these posts to once a month but as and when I get a new pearl x
What a beautiful and fascinating book. I totally agree with you, visual learning brings a whole new dimension to be able to understand new facts. Think I’m going to have to order this one 🙂
Sarah, thanks. I so believe that we would all benefit from visual learning.
You’ll thank me when it arrives. I promise!!
I managed a quick look whilst in your wonderful colourliving home and was very impressed. What a great way to learn and understand interesting and important facts and things about our world.
I love that this book has you drooling. To describe itself as “a time capsule for future generations, or the text sent out into space to explain planet earth to alien life” is a bold statement to make. From what you’ve shown though, it may do just that very thing.
Gxx
Oh, yes, of course. We all drooled over it. Was fun being here, right?
I love that the book had a purpose, which is other than to share beautiful and interesting facts. I totally love Visual Aid and Visual Aid 2, as well as ‘Information is beautiful’ and ‘The Infographic History of the World’. Yet, this book really shares the journey we’re all on! Magic!
xx
I’ve seen the book up close and personal and must say it’s quite special! Anyone who loves visual knowledge will love this … which is exactly why you’re drooling, right? 🙂
Nice pics!!!!
Xx.
Right? Right! Thank you for being my assistant the day of photographing it. Much appreciated!!
We did labour over the pics?!
xx
Oh, what a great book! Looks like something I will have to get for myself. I’m thankful for a publisher like Gestalten, their books are amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
Yes, I’ve always been a huge fan of Gestalten and you’ve got them right there in Berlin.
Their books are always a notch up from others.
You won’t be disappointed. Your whole family will enjoy it!
What an extraordinary book!
Each page and infographic could be a book in itself!
Every infographic looks fascinating, thank you so much for the introduction xx
It’s truly extraordinary.
I think Gestalten should make prints out of the spreads.
You will love it darling. maybe a good book to share with the entire family over dinner xx
I agree with you about visual learning, wins hands down over a text based piece. This book does the visuals so well and engages you straight away, I could spend hours reading it. Your week with Holly looked amazing and so special, just fab that you both got to meet! xx
I love this kind of books! My recent purchase is “Pick me up: stuff you need to know” – my sons-teenagers are so found to read it! It is a great sourse of information, introduced in a different and so understandable (for teens especially) way!
Thank you for sharing, Tina!
Marina
Hello Marina. Welcome!
I just had a look and ‘Pick me up..’ looks great! I know what you mean by writing and illustrating it in such a way that teenagers get it!
Pleasure:-)
[…] A map of the world – according to illustrators and storytellers is another gem from the brilliant gestalten that are experts at publishing visual storytelling. I reviewed the amazing around the world here. […]