Margin Notes

I am always fascinated by all the different ways authors decide to organize information. The choices that authors make are so important for readability and engagement. I think this is especially true when writing non-fiction. The History of Information, by Chris Haughton, is a great example of a book with very thoughtful organization of ideas and engaging content for both kids and adults. 

Chris Haughton is best known as a writer/illustrator of picture books. I love his book Shh! We Have a Plan. His art style is unique – with great use of bold colours and lines.

The idea to write this book came to Chris 17 years ago, when he found out that UC Berkeley had started putting some lectures online to listen to for free. One of the free lectures was called “The History of Information”. After he listened to the lecture, he contacted the professors, Paul Duguid and Geoff Nunberg. He got their reading list for the course and started to think about how he could turn this course into a book.  Over the years, they graciously helped him with editing the book. It was truly a labour of love. 

In The History of Information, Haughton combines both print and illustrations in delightful ways. Through the use of short bursts of information, eye-catching timelines and interesting tidbits, Haughton takes us through the fascinating history of information – spanning from the advent of “language and communication” hundreds of thousands of years ago to present day. 

Throughout the book, Haughton does a great job explaining things, some of which I had never even heard of before! His view of history is expansive and takes us around the globe, noting the contributions of many different continents and cultures. I appreciated his ability to synthesize and explain ideas and concepts in such an entertaining way. This book would be a fantastic mentor text for multi-modal writing, the creation of infographics, or even paragraph writing. 

To learn more about Chris Haughton and The History of Information, click here.