Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Montgomery Ward

I love learning the background to famous icons and stories. However, this one greatly surprised me. But first, a question.  What does a child, a parent who skipped several grades, a department store, and a brother-in-law have in common?  You already know, the creation of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  

This article tells the story of why Rudolph came about, the author’s inspiration, the role of Montgomery Ward, and everything else that flows from essentially a story about corporate marketing. I think one of the most impressive take-aways I got was that if not for Montgomery Ward and Robert May, we would not have a cherished Christmas special and a fun sing along song. Enjoy. 

This article is in Fast Money is by Shannon Cudd.  

Link to article: 

https://www.fastcompany.com/91246840/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-origin-story-montgomery-ward 

Florence Nightingale – Data Scientist or the Original Storyteller?

 Yes, we all heard of Florence Nightingale.  She is the founder of modern nursing.  What is not well known is that she was also a statistician.   

And I can hear you yawning.  Please allow me a few minutes.  

Ms. Nightingale returned from the Crimean War. She decided to explain to Queen Elizabeth the impact of conditions in war.  She analyzed data, challenged the methodology, and finally used her own information.  

So how to present boring stats?  She created charts still in use today. An example is the Rose Diagram.   

At this point I will point you to the excellent article by Lilly Smith.  Her piece is in Fast Company.   

Be sure to read it and you will enjoy the pictures.  This article demonstrates the importance of data collection AND presentation. Her success clearly proves it.  Be sure to read the entire article and the last two paragraphs.   

In addition, you will see books by two other statisticians/data scientist/story tellers. They are Emma Willard and Etienne-Jules Marey.  However, the focus of the article in Ms. Nightingale.  

If you think these subjects are interesting, you will enjoy the article.  

Link:  https://www.fastcompany.com/90637011/the-untold-story-of-how-florence-nightingale-used-data-viz-to-save-lives