Visualization of Data Will Shape The Future of Culture, Business + Politics

What you see is what you get > THE POWER OF NETWORKS

"This really shows the transition from hierarchical thought to networked thought. These thoughts will shape the future of culture, and redraw the power structure of our businesses and politics. 


As the world becomes more networked, hierarchies will become obsolete (already happening) and so stifling that ever more people will seek to shedthem. . . . I look forward to the day that elected officials, monarchs, and oligarchs are nothing but vestigial limbs of ancient cultures - and we instead vote on ideas through networks which enable true democracy for the first time in history." 
 -  Adam Martin on TEDTalk website link below

Clip from video

How does knowledge grow? 
Sometimes it begins with one insight and grows into many branches; other times it grows as a complex and interconnected network. 
Infographics expert Manuel Lima explores the 1000-year history of mapping data - from languages to dynasties - using trees and networks of information. It's a fascinating history of visualizations and a look into humanity's urge to map what we know.

Manuel Lima

Data visualization researcher

Manuel Lima studies how information can be organized — into elegant and beautiful diagrams that illustrate the many unexpected twists of big data. Full bio
Link to TEDTalk video can be found below: Watch It!
http://www.ted.com/talks/manuel_lima_a_visual_history_of_human_knowledge

Lima begins with a brief survey of how systems have been represented throughout time. Going as far back as early depictions of the tree of life as knowledge systems to early diagrams of hierarchies and lineages, Lima proves that visualization of connected information and knowledge and ideas is not exclusive to modern times. But soon, Visual Complexity becomes a collage of images that are both high-design and data-rich. Most importantly, Lima's curation and narrative demonstrate that by presenting relational data in innovative formats, completely new relationships and insights into the information become available to us...not to mention that the results are often distinct works of art in themselves. Lima finishes the book by reflecting on how we see the world through data, how our relationship with data will change in the future (cybernetics for example) and, more importantly, how data visualization can be used to solve some of the pressing challenges facing our planet by engaging audiences in completely new and compelling ways. 

One thing is for sure...data geeks will not be able to let this book out of their hands. They will take this book with them everywhere....to coffee shops, on camping trips, to the bathroom. And yes, they will sleep with it under their pillow.
from a review of "Visual Complexity" http://www.future-ish.com/2011/12/visual-complexity.html

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