Data Points

Data Points: First look

Jan 22, 2013

For the past year, I’ve been working on Data Points: Visualization that Means Something, and you can pre-order it now.

Visualization has grown a lot in the 5-something years I’ve written for FlowingData. It’s not just a tool for analysis anymore. Visualization is a way to express data, and it comes in the form of information graphics, entertainment, everyday interfaces, data art, and yeah, tools, too. Your approach to data and visualization changes based on application.

But even with all these (awesome) new applications, there’s a constant across all of them: the data.

Data Points starts here, and takes you through the process of understanding data, representing it, exploring it, and designing for different applications. Whereas Visualize This was about getting your feet wet with lots of code examples, Data Points is code-independent and is a perfect complement that helps you understand and allow others to understand data better, which is sorta the whole point.

The manuscript is written, the 240 graphics (by me and many of your favorites) are set, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

It’ll officially be out late March or early April. Crazy, nerve-racking, and exciting all at the same time.

More details to come. Until then: pre-order the book today.

19 Comments

Vanessa — January 22, 2013 at 9:30 am

That’s so exciting! Congratulations!
Jim Vallandingham — January 22, 2013 at 9:46 am

congrats! can’t wait to have another quality resource on my shelf.
Matias — January 22, 2013 at 10:30 am

Is that Locals and Tourists in the cover? The second book that uses it in the cover! (previous was a Malofiej awards book).
- Nathan Yau — January 22, 2013 at 11:10 am
  
  The cover is something else, but some of other Eric’s work is in the book :).
Siya — January 22, 2013 at 10:49 am

Congrats Nathan. Can’t wait to get my copy.
Ben Jones — January 22, 2013 at 11:29 am

Congrats Nathan! I’m looking forward to reading it when it comes out. Also, reading the description on Amazon, I’m interested in the notion of “rules” and “where and when you can break” them.
Alberto Cairo — January 22, 2013 at 12:06 pm

Congratulations, Nathan. Looking forward to it.
Rudi Borrmann — January 22, 2013 at 12:11 pm

Great News!!
Will be ordering one for the Open Data Office at Buenos Aires City.
Toby — January 22, 2013 at 2:46 pm

Hi Nathan,

Great blog. Can I ask what skills a total novice might gain from studying your book? Keen to have a look.
- Nathan Yau — January 23, 2013 at 9:26 am
  
  @Toby — You should get quite a bit out of it. It’s all about the process of visualization and approaching data, with a lot of graphics to demonstrate.
Peter — January 22, 2013 at 3:18 pm

That’s exciting. Looking forward to having another book that people keep borrowing and I have to nag to get back.
Jonathan Nye — January 22, 2013 at 7:05 pm

HYFR! Congrats, Nathan. Looking forward to reading your new book.
Evan — January 23, 2013 at 7:54 am

Awesome – can’t wait.

Preordered.
Nathan Yau — January 23, 2013 at 9:24 am

Thanks everyone :)
Sérgio Carvalho — January 23, 2013 at 10:24 am

Congratulations! Will the book exist in Kindle format, or only paperback?
- Nathan Yau — January 23, 2013 at 12:57 pm
  
  @Sérgio – Yep, it’ll be available in the major digital formats.
Michael W Cristiani — January 23, 2013 at 12:07 pm

Absolutely outstanding. Can’t wait. Congratulations, Nathan. The Amazon write-up is very enticing. Getting ready to pre-order, following Dan Murray’s advice that this will be a “must have”.
Alfred Lin — January 24, 2013 at 11:43 am

Look forward to reading it!
Jason — February 5, 2013 at 11:32 pm

Congrats on the new book! I haven’t read the blog in a while but saw the book on Amazon the other day. I noticed that it comes out on April 1st–my birthday! Happy Birthday to me. :)