Speak Data

This is no ordinary data science book. Speak Data is the first pop nonfiction book to explore the definition of data and its impacts on our daily lives. Insightful ideas and colorful data illustrations by award-winning information designer Giorgia Lupi guide you from one observation and revelation to the next.

Data is the most powerful force in society today. From the global scale of financial markets and communication networks to the smallest moments of personal observation and social connection, data is created, shared, and analyzed at a speed and volume once unimaginable. Whether we realize it or not, we are surrounded by invisible ecosystems of data. This fresh Modern Love-style take approaches data from multiple perspectives, showing how data affects everything from our health and wellness to our creativity, activism, and much more. Seventeen interviews with global thought leaders in the worlds of business, tech, health, art, and more provide unique insight into the dynamic and surprisingly interdisciplinary nature of data, including:

• 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.

Authors Giorgia Lupi and Phillip Cox invite us to think differently about how numbers, statistics, and algorithms play out in our lives, presenting a new and uniquely multifaceted paradigm for understanding data's impact. The exciting visual expansion and illumination of the ideas within each chapter make understanding data fun and approachable for every reader.

Giorgia Lupi is a partner at Pentagram design studio in New York. After receiving her Master's in Architecture, she earned her PhD in Design at Politecnico di Milano. In 2011, she co-founded Accurat, an internationally acclaimed data-driven design firm with offices in Milan and New York. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Phillip Cox is a brand strategist and writer. He lives in New York City.