Good Charts, Updated and Expanded: The HBR Guide to Making Smarter, More Persuasive Data Visualizations

by Scott Berinato

The ultimate guide to data visualization and information design for business. Making good charts is a must-have skill for managers today. The vast amount of data that drives business isn't useful if you can't communicate the valuable ideas contained in that data—the threats, the opportunities, the hidden trends, the future possibilities. But many think that data visualization is too difficult—a specialist skill that's either the province of data scientists and complex software packages or the domain of professional designers and their visual creativity. Not so. Anyone can learn to produce quality "dataviz" and, more broadly, clear and effective information design. Good Charts will show you how to do it. In this updated and expanded edition, dataviz expert Scott Berinato provides all you need for turning those ordinary charts kicked out of a spreadsheet program into extraordinary visuals that captivate and persuade your audience and for transforming presentations that seem like a mishmash of charts and bullet points into clear, effective, persuasive storytelling experiences. Good Charts shows how anyone who invests a little time getting better at visual communication can create an outsized impact—both in their career and in their organization. You will This new edition of Good Charts not only provides new visuals and updated concepts but adds an entirely new chapter on building teams around the visualization part of a data science operation and creating workflows to integrate visualization into everything you do. Graphics that merely present information won't cut it anymore. Make Good Charts your go-to resource for turning plain, uninspiring charts and presentations into smart, effective visualizations and stories that powerfully convey ideas.

304 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Elizabeth Harrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really accessible, interesting read that made me rethink how I use and present data at work. I thought I was pretty good at creating charts but I picked up so many tips on how to use data visualisations. It is more than just a book on making graphs; it's a whole approach for thinking through what you want to say and how you can say it to influence the person looking at the data (in an ethical way!).
I really enjoyed it and shared some of the tips with my kids as I think data visualisation is such an important skill for everyone to have.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from Netgalley.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a well-written and practical guide on how to visual data more efficiently and more effectively. I know I am guilty of just using the charts tools included in my MS office suite, and not really thinking through what I am trying to convey. In fact, i don't always know what is the best way to convey the data or concepts in my presentation so find myself having to explain what my intent is with the chart. As the author states - context is everything. This book is divided into four parts - understand, create, refine and the last mile. I will go back to these sections as reference now that I have read the entire book. In the Understand chapter, I really liked how charts were used in the past such as the 1912 Yale/Harvard game since there were no replays/television, etc. to depict the play-by-play after the fact. Each chapter has a clear and concise recap which I really liked. There is one chart in the book that too me was worth the price of the book just for this -- Abela's Chart Type Hierarchy" - it helps answer the question I posed earlier - what is the best way to depict what I am trying to convey to an audience. Another great example in the book is a road sign to Cambridge arguing that we have to reduce complexity for the viewer - and I smiled in recognition, I have faced that same sign many times trying to visit Cambridge, Massachusetts and miss my turn every single time. I still couldn't figure it out looking at it now, statically in a book so no wonder I can't figure it out while driving! There is also a section on how data is used to mislead or manipulate and this chapter will help me be a much more savvy consumer of data. At the very end is a glossary of the different types of charts and uses. I highly recommend this book and will be keeping it on my shelf close-at-hand as a reference guide.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harvard Business Review Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book and I learned a ton reading it. Ideal for business analysts and other people who need to build charts and visualizations, this book goes in depth. I really appreciated the summary round-ups at the end of each chapter, they really provided the key points for people to takeaway. This was especially helpful as I don’t build visualizations regularly, but still want to understand the key points and information the author provides.

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charts are a great way to present information but not everyone knows how to build it well and then present it well. This then is a fantastic book for not only making good charts but also for learning how to present it well in the short time that is usually given. I liked that there are lots of examples. Would have loved more infographic type of charts though.