Abstract

How can we explain this feeling shared by many of us, young and old, of not really grasping what the numbers cover? Why do we have such a hard time visualizing what the thousands or billions really are?
In this book, Bunpei Yorifuji offers a personal and informed reflection on our relationship to numbers. By questioning our way of thinking about the world in terms of statistics and the omnipresence of numbers in our daily life, he observes a gap between our ability to "put numbers" to the world, and to "feel" it. By identifying the imperfections of the most commonly used units of measurement, the author proposes in this book to create new ones, better suited to understanding certain everyday phenomena that we are unfortunately often unable to quantify. Thus, the author proposes to use the words like "Minami" (South) to measure the feeling shared between two people who are more than friends, but not yet lovers; the “Thank you” would make it possible to quantify this feeling of being able to count on a friend in the event of a hard blow; and the "Factory boat" would be a way of quantifying the feeling of overwork at work.

Figures and statistical representations illustrating the current health crisis abound, and often provide a better understanding of the consequences of the epidemic. Yet, who hasn't once felt overwhelmed by this wealth of data?

Through this reflection on the figures, Bunpei Yorifuji encourages everyone to reclaim the way of perceiving the world and to adapt the measurement tools to the needs of each one.

Author’s Information

Born in 1973, graduated from Musashino Art University.
Bunpei Yorifuji is a award-winning art director, illustrator, designer.