JAMES EAGLE is the founder of Eeagli, which combines innovative data visualisation and storytelling for many renowned institutions around the world. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice and regularly speaks at conferences and writes about issues that shape the world today.

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 Malthus's 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 Analytica's Origins and Influence 209

The Dark Side of Politics 209

Facebook Data Turn from Asset into Liability 211

Re-evaluating Facebook's 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