Show Me How Illustrates the Power of Graphics in International Markets

"Show, don't tell," creative writing teachers like to say.  Show Me How has taken that advice to heart.

This fun instructional book features graphic illustrations that show how to do 500 tasks, from boiling an egg to applying traditional geisha makeup.  "We were greatly inspired by airline safety cards, IKEA instructions, and the iPod manual—all of which convey a considerable amount of complex information to a global audience almost entirely wordlessly through well-considered graphics," says Roger Shaw, Vice President and Publisher at Weldon Owen, Inc. in San Francisco, CA.

The idea for the book came from a brainstorming session focused on building Weldon Owen's international sales.  After the success of How to Do Everything, an earlier title of theirs that sold well, Roger and his team tried to create a product that could reproduce the success on a global scale—without the high costs of translations.

But could they do it almost entirely without text?  Roger and his team thought it would be worth a try.  "With the internet competing with books in the delivery of reference information, it's no longer enough for books to merely provide the data. The facts now need to be presented in an entertaining way with some wit and freshness," he says.

Tongue-in-cheek instructions on how to fight a shark are presented in the same easy-to-follow graphic style as useful tips on how to hold chopsticks.  "I particularly like the information on How to Banish Imaginary Monsters (#308), which is both great fun and useful, and How to Pair Wine with Food (#102), which concisely conveys a lot of information," says Roger.

And the colorful line drawings have proven that they work well around the world.  Since its initial publication in the fall of 2008, the award-winning Show Me How has sold almost 400,000 copies in about 30 countries and in 20 different languages.  The book's Web site, showmenow.com, solicits suggestions from readers for future Show Me How books. 

"We've also received detailed information on a number of ways to cure hiccups other than the ones we showed in the book. We could probably now publish a whole book on that subject alone!" says Roger.

From Show Me How: How to Run with the Bulls in Pamplona

From Show Me How: How to Tie a Traditional Windsor Knot