Preface xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Data Visualisation Is Written in Our DNA 7
The Dawn of Maps and Abstract Thought 9
The Roots of Visual Communication 11
Human Minds Are Pattern-Seeking Machines 12
William Playfair and the Birth of Modern Charts 19
Navigating the Era of Information Overload 20
Why Visual Literacy Is the New Survival Skill 21
Chapter 2 Technology Makes Us Fragile 25
Systems, Networks and Hidden Fragility 27
The New Global Scale of Exploitation 28
Floods of Data, Deficits of Wisdom 30
Simulations, Pandemics and the Cost of Inaction 34
The Transformative Power of Data Visualisation 35
Chapter 3 Fighting Data Pollution 43
Lies Are the First Symptom of Data Pollution 44
The Deadly Impact of Data Pollution 47
Desensitisation and the Invisibility of Data Pollution 49
Data Visualisation as a Tool to Combat Misinformation 51
Cognitive Pitfalls and the Spread of Half-Truths 53
Information Overload and Social Inequality 55
Information Overload and Social Inequality 56
The Moral Responsibility of Data Visualisation 60
Chapter 4 AI and Data Visualisation Become Allies 63
A New Technology Gold Rush 64
The Cognitive Cost of Technological Reliance 66
Fighting Misinformation with AI 68
Defending Against Extremism and Manipulated Visualisations 71
AI as a Sparring Partner and Impartial Critic 75
Liberating and Democratising Data 76
Mosaic Theory and the Risks of Weaponising Data 77
Privacy, Intellectual Property and Open Data 79
Chapter 5 Data Is Inherently Bias 83
The Great Financial Crisis 84
Subprime Mortgages: A Lesson in Hubris 85
When Data Visualisation Fails Humanity 86
The Flawed Assumptions Behind MBS 87
Biased Data at the Heart of the Crisis 91
Inflation and Evolving Economic Forces 96
GDP and the Shifting Nature of Data 98
Why Accepting Data Bias Matters 99
Chapter 6 Economics Is a Dismal Science 103
The Enduring Legacy of Malthusâs Mistake 104
The Lewis Model and the Promise of Industrialisation 106
An Invented Lecture and the Power of False Stories 109
Chapter 7 Risk Should Be Seen Not Heard About 125
The Universal Allure of the Normal Curve 126
A Self-Imposed Fog: When Scientists Shunned Visuals 128
The Monte Carlo Moment: Random Numbers as Graffiti 133
Chapter 8 The Dark Side of the Dial Tone 147
The Vulnerabilities in a Trust-Based System 151
Chapter 9 Visualising the Climate War 165
Cutting Through Climate Data Overload 166
When Animation Speaks Louder than Words 169
The Future Is Interactive 170
Shining a Light on Climate Injustice 176
Burning Embers and the Paris Agreement 178
A New Generation of Climate Activists 182
Uniting Science, Society and Justice 183
Chapter 10 Poverty and Wealth 187
Chapter 11 Data Deception in Politics 207
Cambridge Analyticaâs Origins and Influence 209
The Dark Side of Politics 209
Facebook Data Turn from Asset into Liability 211
Re-evaluating Facebookâs Transparency 213
Election Misinformation and Data Manipulation 214
Online Manipulation and the Arms Race Against Fake Accounts 217
How Data Visualisation Can Help 218
Data Visualisation and Freedom of Speech 220
A Future Balanced on Data 223
Chapter 12 Visualising Healthcare for a Better Tomorrow 227
Electronic Health Records and Patient Monitoring 229
Medical Imaging and Diagnostics 231
Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology 232
A Shocking Murder and the High Cost of Healthcare 235
Public Health and Population-Level Interventions 238
Clinical Research and Drug Development 240
Healthcare Resource Management 242
Cognitive Biases in Medicine and the Role of Visualisation 243
Reshaping the Narrative of Healthcare 244
Towards a Healthier, Data-Driven Future 245
Chapter 13 Educating Through Data Visualisation 249
Education Is Crucial in a Data-Saturated World 252
Specialisation Can Actually Make Us Fragile 256
Data Visualisation Taps into the Power of Visual Thinking 257
Bring the World into the Classroom 259
Overcoming Misinformation Through Visual Literacy 260
How Technology Can Be Used for Data-Driven Learning 262
Barriers and Ethical Dilemmas 264
Data Visualisation as a Catalyst for Global Awareness 264
Chapter 14 Seeing Our Way to Survival 269
The Epoch of Data 270
Revisiting the Warning Signs 271
Data Visualisation as Human Storytelling 272
Ethical Frameworks and Education 274
The Imperative of Continuous Learning 275
A Call to Arms for Change 275
A Return to Ethan 277
Final Reflections 279
References 283
About the Author 291
Index 293
