http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com.ezproxy.neu.edu/book/databases-and-reporting-tools/9780133440492

"I’ll begin with an axiom:

Any visualization is a model.

Think of a locator map. A map is always a simplified depiction of a particular area. It doesn’t look exactly like the area itself. Mapmakers remove needless features and emphasize the ones that matter to them in a process of rational and systematic abstraction. Road maps, for instance, highlight roads, cities, towns, and boundaries. Their function is to help you find your way around, not to display every single mountain, valley, or river.

The idea of model can be extended to any act of thinking and communication. We humans use models for perception, cognition, and reasoning because our limited brains are incapable of grasping reality in all its glorious complexity. Our senses and brain mediate our relationship with the world. Our vision doesn’t consist of a high-resolution animation of what we have in front of our eyes. That’s just a convenient illusion that our brains concoct."

Cairo, Alberto. The Truthful Art: Data, Charts, and Maps for Communication. New Riders, 2016.