A graph is worth a hundred thousand words
The Economist in a recent article noted that books about graphs are in style. The book the J-Curve: A New Way to Understand Why Nations Rise and Fall, by Ian Bremmer, is one of these new books about graphs, alluding to the famous J-curve many economics students have studied. According to its description on Amazon, “The J curve is a visual tool that allows us to see at a glance why some crucial countries are in crisis and unstable while others are prosperous and politically solid.”
 The J-Curve |
 …influenced by the classic j-curve |
A book about a graph is not a new idea. In 1994, The Bell Curve, written by Richard Herrnstein, went to the printing press. In a nutshell, the Bell Curve tried to show there were large differences in intelligence between races using the standard normal distribution in its argument.
 The Bell Curve |
 …good ol’ bell curve |
The 2002 bestseller The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell also used an idea from graphics - kind of like an s-curve - to tell its tale of little changes having big effects.
 The Tipping Point |
 …stealing the standard s-curve |
Recently published The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson uses the well known tails of the standard normal distribution to carve out its argument that a whole new range of niche products can find markets, now that the internet is here.
 The Long Tail |
 …goes on forever, forever, forever |
Beyond Oil - The View from Hubbert’s Peak by Kenneth S. Deffeyes, also published in 2006, uses the famous Hubbert Graph in its exploration of the future of fossil fuels.
 Beyond Oil |
 …running out! |
These books all show how simple graphics can be effectively used to encapsulate an idea. Five years down the road when the words have become a hazy memory, you can be sure these graphics - much like a catchy tune - will still be stuck in your head.
When will these famous charts will get their own books?
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