If you open Phenomena: An Infographic Guide to Almost Everything expecting a traditional guidebook, you’re going to be shocked by how sweeping and strange it is. This is not a typical desk reference. You’re more likely to discover something you had no idea existed, like the principles of proxemics (the relationship between people and space), the Fermi paradox (if aliens exist, where are they?) or singing sand (the sound waves caused by wind moving across sand dunes). It’s more Depths of Wikipedia than Encyclopedia Britannica, which makes it even more compelling in a time when simple questions can be answered online with just a few keystrokes. Aside from the clear, concise, highly inventive writing by author Camille Juzeau, the book’s most noteworthy feature is its vibrant design, with illustrations both minimal and bold. Each page is fully saturated with deep blacks and brilliant neons, and the illustrations wouldn’t be out of place in a retro edition of Popular Mechanics. For an example of the breadth of Phenomena’s subject matter, consider that a page about “sunken settlements” (like the lost villages of Ontario, which were permanently submerged to make way for a sea route in 1958) is directly followed by a page dedicated to the various mourning rituals of animals like crows and elephants. To call this book fascinating is an understatement. It is a cabinet of curiosities, containing things you never even knew you were curious about.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
