Information is Beautiful dataviz: potential tax revenue from legalising drugs in the UK

One of the most successful published data journalists in the world today, David McCandless has a new book out: Beautiful News.

His work is innovative, newsy, current and incredibly popular with readers — but sometimes controversial with what he calls the “chart police”. 

Alberto and Simon chat with David about why he gets such Marmite-type reactions to his work, how Hans Rosling opened our eyes to the power of data visualisation and the nature of beauty.

The music for today’s episode is world GDP, made with TwoTone, which turns numbers into tunes.

Listen to the episode here >>

Leave a comment

Get the Book

Take a trip inside the world’s brain. Out May 2026

Go back

Your message has been sent

Warning

Published May 2026: What We Ask Google

Take a trip inside the world’s brain. Discover the definitive family portrait of the twenty-first century, revealing how we are interconnected by the honest questions we ask every day