DUMBO

‘Best American Infographics’ compiled in new book

Brooklyn BookBeat: Launch party in DUMBO

October 8, 2013 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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As we find ourselves in the era of big data, information must be captured and organized in ways that are accessible and easy to understand—but they can also be creative and visually arresting, as seen in this first volume of the brand new Best American series, “The Best American Infographics 2013.” It’s an exciting look at the top infographics from the past year, the most informative, influential bursts of art and knowledge—on the environment, politics, social issues, health, sports, culture—to experience, absorb, and share.

Infographics, short for information graphics, are organizations of data about any one thing or many—and they often tell an interesting story along the way. They can be humorous (What Were the Gayest [And Straightest] Super Bowl Halftime Shows? by Tom Scocca), serious (The Money in Politics Navigator by Andrew Garcia Phillips), aesthetically beautiful (Wind Map by Fernanda Viegas and Martin Wattenberg), or hard to face (Sexism Visualized by Brian McGill), but the best of them are useful and essential, and captured in this volume.

With a forward by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gareth Cook and an introduction by Talking Heads band member David Byrne, “The Best American Infographics” is entertaining from the first elegantly-designed page to the last. With distinct sections on a variety of topics, including mixology and pop culture, the book offers information in a compact, visually pleasing manner, particularly relevant for the design-science-technology-art-oriented reader.

And it’s just the beginning. Gareth Cook has set up a “brain trust” of advisors from more than a dozen disciplines who are already scouting for next year’s most influential/beautiful infographics in the scientific, political, environmental, socio-economic, health, sports, arts, and cultural fields.

A book launch party will take place at DUMBO’s powerHouse Arena on Oct. 10. The event will begin at 7 p.m. powerHouse Arena is located at 37 Main St. in DUMBO.

David Byrne, introducer, is a renowned artist, the force behind the Talking Heads, and the founder of the record label Luaka Bop. He is a photographer, film director, and author.

Gareth Cook, series editor, is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, a columnist at the Boston Globe, and the editor of Mind Matters, Scientific American’s neuroscience blog. http://garethcook.net/

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