The Book of Trees – Visualizing Branches of Knowledge, Manuel Lima

The critically acclaimed bestseller Visual Complexity was the first in-depth examination of the burgeoning field of information visualization. Particularly noteworthy are the numerous historical examples of past efforts to make sense of complex systems of information.

In this new companion volume ‘The Book of Trees. Visualizing Branches of Knowledge’, Manuel Lima – expert in the field of data vizualisation – examines the more than eight hundred year history of the tree diagram, from its roots in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval monasteries to its current resurgence as an elegant means of visualization.

Manuel Lima presents over two hundred intricately detailed tree diagram illustrations on a remarkable variety of subjects, from some of the earliest known examples from ancient Mesopotamia to the manuscripts of medieval monasteries to contributions by leading contemporary designers. A timeline of capsule biographies on key figures in the development of the tree diagram rounds out this one-of-a-kind visual compendium.

Tree diagrams suggest strategies for representing data across many disciplines, including science, law, geneology, linguistics, economics, and sociolog. The book ‘The Book of Trees. Visualizing Branches of Knowledge’ includes fascinating examples, such as early conceptualizations of heaven and hell, kinship diagrams of kings of France and West Virginian mountaineers, and analyses of recipe ingredients’.