Book of Circles

In The Book of Circles, his companion volume to the popular Book of Trees, Manuel Lima takes us on a lively tour through millenia of information design.

From bestselling author Manuel Lima, a leading voice on UX design and data visualization and celebrated TED speaker, The Book of Circles covers 1,000 years of humanity's long-lasting obsession with all things circular.

Following on his popular bestsellers, The Book of Trees: Visualizing Branches of Knowledge and Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information, Manuel Lima has crafted an illustrated expedition through an encyclopedic array of subjects—architecture, urban planning, fine art, design, fashion, technology, religion, cartography, biology, astronomy, and physics—all based on the circle, the universal symbol of unity, perfection, movement, and infinity.

Three hundred detailed and colorful illustrations and infographics tell the story of the circle and its use in time and culture as an important symbol all over the world. Fascinating entries include:

• Clay trading tokens used by the ancient Sumerians juxtaposed with iconic logos of twentieth-century corporations.
• A chart organizing seven hundred Nintendo offerings with a Victorian board game based on the travels of Nellie Bly.
• A visual analysis of Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining with early celestial charts that placed the Earth at the center of the universe.
• And a wealth of other elegant and intriguing methods for displaying information.

 
Lima also provides readers with an authoritative history of the circle and a unique taxonomy of twenty-one varieties of circle diagrams, rounding out this visual feast. This illuminating and deeply engaging reference book is a must-have for infographics enthusiasts, information designers, pop culture enthusiasts, and art history buffs.