Customer Reviews

Infographics: A Journalist's Guide

5 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The moment you open this book you realize that the publisher hasn't got a clue about publishing. It seems as if the book was made on an early version of PageMaker, printed out on a LaserWriter and sent along to a local photocopy shop. Every single letter of type in the book is rasterized, which makes it harder to read and tells you that these guys are not ones to lecture others on the finer points of making things clear on a printed page.

The graphics themselves are mostly of the Excel v. 3 variety, except those reproducted from other publications. Many of those seem to be 2ndd or 3rd generation photocopies, scanned in at low resolution and are not very helpful at all.

The text is OK, but more than a little dated. My guess it was prepared as course material for some journalism faculty, Infographics 101. It does give some good guidance and warns of some common pitfalls, but as a guide to a working journalist it isn't very helpful. Aesthetically it is horrible.

Don't waste money or time on this one.

Although written for journalists, this book is also a valuable resource for consultants, technical writers and business professionals who use graphics to augment reports, findings and recommendations, and manuals.
The section titled "Principles of Graphic Presentation" provides valuable insights into how to effectively and aesthetically present information that is an accurate portrayal of the facts, concepts and processes about which you are writing.
I personally focused on chapters 3 (Chart-Based Graphics), 5 (Charts Without Numbers) and 7 (Illustration-based Graphics) because of their direct applicability to my profession - IT consultant. In particular, the chapter on chart-based graphics was extremely useful because the wrong chart type actually hampers communication of statistical and numerical information. I appreciated the straightforward advice on selecting the best chart type for the underlying data and how to present it in the most effective manner. I also liked chapter 8, Errors and Inaccuracy, which contained useful pointers on how to avoid common problems with charts and graphic portrayal of information. This book is an excellent addition to any writer's library, and especially so for those of us who need to ensure accuracy and presenting the clearest message to readers. I highly recommend this book and rate it at 5 stars.