Our critically acclaimed bestseller Visual Complexity was the first in-depth examination of the burgeoning field of information visualization. Particularly noteworthy are the numerous historical examples of past efforts to make sense of complex systems of information. In this new companion volume, The Book of Trees, data viz expert Manuel Lima examines the more than eight hundred year history of the tree diagram, from its roots in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval monasteries to its current resurgence as an elegant means of visualization. Lima presents two hundred intricately detailed tree diagram illustrations on a remarkable variety of subjects--from some of the earliest known examples from ancient Mesopotamia to the manuscripts of medieval monasteries to contributions by leading contemporary designers. A timeline of capsule biographies on key figures in the development of the tree diagram rounds out this one-of-a-kind visual compendium.
"From studying the bible to visualising computer storage, Manuel Lima's sumptuous The Book of Trees explores the tree diagram's appeal for showing information." -NewScientist magazine
"Sure to appeal to a diverse group of readers, the book beautifully combines art and science, as well as ancient and contemporary worldviews." -Publishers Weekly
"What an amazing and beautiful book! The most important analysis of visualization since Tufte, The Book of Trees reveals the origins and evolution of the branches we use to structure knowledge. These are the cultural and logical foundations crucial to any digital designer, as well as anyone who wants to be able to think critically about the visual world." -Douglas Rushkoff, author, Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now
"Featuring 200 examples across history, this one-of-a-kind resource is my round-up's crowning glory." - World of Interiors
"Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive overview of treemaps than The Book of Trees by Manuel Lima, professor of data visualization at Parsons." - Azure Magazine
"Lima's book present us with a pictorial buffet of the sheer variety of Trees of Knowledge, both in terms of what they can look like and what information they can convey." - Systematic Biology
Lima's argument is not only compelling, it is also convincing, for his visual evidence is powerful." - American Historical Association
Manuel Lima was named one of the "fifty most creative and influential minds of 2009" by Creativity magazine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the New York-based design lead for Codeacademy.com.
Princeton Architectural Press
Pub Date: April 08, 2014
0.9" H x 10.1" L x 7.6" W
207 pages
hardcover