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"Data is almost anything, because almost anything can get recorded. But it’s kind of a magical thing—potentially one of the most powerful things humans have ever done." —James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
Today we are told that data is everywhere, from the smartphones in our pockets to the satellites in space. But what is data, really? What role does it play in our lives? And why should anyone care?
Through inspiring illustrations and a fresh, accessible approach, Speak Data invites us to see data differently—not just as numbers on a screen or tick marks in a chart, but as a language to help us better understand each other and the world around us. Seventeen thought-provoking conversations with leaders in business, tech, medicine, psychology, health, art, and more explore the human side of data, unpacking its powerful ability to divulge patterns, tell stories, stir emotion, and illuminate complexity. While often stereotyped as abstract or intimidating, here data is revealed as something far different: personal, nuanced, and above all, human made.
Featuring:
- Tech pioneer John Maeda on the value of data visualization during global emergencies.
- Marketing legend Seth Godin on how to use data to get people to really care about climate change.
- Museum curator Paola Antonelli on whether data is art.
- Atomic Habits author James Clear on the ways data can (and can’t) describe human identity.
- AI data artist Refik Anadol on how big datasets can dream.
- And many more.
In this uniquely interdisciplinary study, authors Giorgia Lupi and Phillip Cox present data as a vocabulary that anyone can use and that anyone can understand. If we learn to truly “speak data,” we can open up new worlds of meaning for ourselves and everything around us.
ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY: Giorgia Lupi is an award-winning information designer whose work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. She has twice been named to the Wallpaper* USA 400 list of the people shaping creative America and recently became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art and a National Geographic explorer. A visual OpEd she published in the New York Times in 2023 was a stunning reflection on her experience of long Covid, and her TED Talk on her humanistic approach to data has more than one million views. Her belief is that data has the capacity to make us all more human—advancing our intelligence, engagement, and delight.
KALEIDESCOPE OF PERSPECTIVES: Five chapters tackle human-centered topics of data and identity, communications, health, technology, and creativity, exploring what data is today and what it might mean for our collective future. The scientists, artists, writers, researchers, and activists interviewed include James Clear, Adam Grant, Andy Marra, Seth Godin, Bernadette Woods Placky, Nico Muhly, Kate Crawford, and Sougwen Chung.
Perfect for:
- Anyone interested in data science and data visualization
- Graphic design students and professionals
- Educators and librarians seeking an instructive and accessible resource on data
- Readers of modern culture and popular science books
- Fans of Giorgia Lupi’s artwork, TED Talk, and books, including Dear Data and Observe, Collect, Draw!
