UsefulCharts

Matthew James Baker{{Cite thesis |last=Baker |first=Matthew James |title=Psychological type and atheism: why some people are more likely than others to give up God |date=2015 |publisher=University of Warwick |url=https://pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk:443/record=b2860410~S1 |place=Coventry}} is a Canadian{{Cite news |last=Diment |first=Marcia |date=2023-10-03 |title=Popular quirky YouTube channel has a Vancouver storefront |url=https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/popular-quirky-youtube-channel-vancouver-store-7652860 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520210339/https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/popular-quirky-youtube-channel-vancouver-store-7652860 |archive-date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Vancouver Is Awesome |issn=0832-218X}} educator and designer{{Cite news |last=Noe |first=Rain |date=2019-01-29 |title=Cool Charts Depicting the Evolution of the Alphabet, and the Writing Systems of the World |url=https://www.core77.com/posts/83175/Cool-Charts-Depicting-the-Evolution-of-the-Alphabet-and-the-Writing-Systems-of-the-World |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604204855/https://www.core77.com/posts/83175/Cool-Charts-Depicting-the-Evolution-of-the-Alphabet-and-the-Writing-Systems-of-the-World |archive-date=2023-06-04 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Core77}} who was born in 1975.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Jenny |date=2015-09-09 |title=Greek mythology? There's a chart for that |url=https://vancouversun.com/business/small%20business/greek-mythology-theres-a-chart-for-that |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901172018/https://vancouversun.com/business/small%20business/greek-mythology-theres-a-chart-for-that |archive-date=2024-09-01 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Vancouver Sun |issn=0832-1299}} In a YouTube video, Baker said that he was born into a family who were members of the Worldwide Church of God. He described the church as a cult and has since converted to Progressive Judaism.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaKpI7tpryc |title=The Cult I Grew Up In {{!}} British Israelism Debunked |date=2021-04-16 |type=Video |publisher=UsefulCharts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822144901/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaKpI7tpryc |archive-date=2024-08-22 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} In 2003, he cofounded Beacon Hill Academy, a non-profit school in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, where he had previously worked as a teacher.{{Cite web |title=Meet Matthew Baker, Useful Charts |url=http://smallbusinessbc.ca/success-story/meet-matthew-baker-useful-charts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302175131/http://smallbusinessbc.ca/success-story/meet-matthew-baker-useful-charts/ |archive-date=2024-03-02 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Small Business BC}}{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.beaconhillacademy.org/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314180356/http://www.beaconhillacademy.org/about/ |archive-date=2024-03-14 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Beacon Hill Academy}} When he moved to Vancouver in 2009, he uploaded around 100 educational charts online covering various topics which earned him money through Google AdSense advertisements on his website. He later began selling physical posters on Amazon.com and was able to rely on income from the UsefulCharts business by 2011.

Baker has a PhD in education,{{Cite web |title=Matt Baker |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Matt-Baker/174857751 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126125908/https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Matt-Baker/174857751 |archive-date=2021-01-26 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Simonandschuster.com}} with his dissertation titled "Psychological type and atheism: why some people are more likely than others to give up God."

The company was started by Matthew Baker on February 2, 2018.{{Cn|date=September 2024}}

The storefront of the company is located at Commercial Drive, Vancouver, where physical posters and books by UsefulCharts are sold.{{Cite AV media |url=https://globalnews.ca/video/10100757/charting-vancouvers-history |title=Charting Vancouver's History |date=2023-11-18 |type=Video |publisher=Global News |access-date=2024-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118140918/https://globalnews.ca/video/10100757/charting-vancouvers-history/ |archive-date=2023-11-18 |url-status=live |via=globalnews.ca}} Posters can also be purchased online through its website.

The company has an associated YouTube channel where Baker narrates over videos presenting educational charts. Baker has said the revenue between physical chart sales and the channel is "about 50/50." In a Global News segment covering UsefulCharts, a video detailing the history of Vancouver was highlighted.

{{Tall image|Timeline of Ancient History.png|300|200|Timeline of ancient history, uploaded by UsefulCharts to Wikimedia Commons in 2011.|alt=Timeline of Ancient history}}

Charts designed by the company which have received media attention include:

• Evolution of the Alphabet: a visual timeline of all 26 glyphs in the English alphabet.{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Mark |date=2019-01-31 |title=See the amazing evolution of the alphabet, from 1750 BC to today |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90299301/see-the-amazing-evolution-of-the-alphabet-from-1750-bc-to-today |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225072144/https://www.fastcompany.com/90299301/see-the-amazing-evolution-of-the-alphabet-from-1750-bc-to-today |archive-date=2022-12-25 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Fast Company}}{{Cite news |last=Frauenfelder |first=Mark |date=2019-01-29 |title=Fascinating chart shows the evolution of the English alphabet from Egyptian hieroglyphics |url=https://boingboing.net/2019/01/29/fascinating-chart-shows-the-ev.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129224414/https://boingboing.net/2019/01/29/fascinating-chart-shows-the-ev.html |archive-date=2023-11-29 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Boing Boing}}{{Cite news |last=Sierzputowski |first=Kate |date=2019-01-29 |title=Evolution of the Alphabet: Nearly 3,800 Years of Letters Explored Through a Color-Coded Flowchart |url=https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/01/evolution-of-the-alphabet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322035716/https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/01/evolution-of-the-alphabet/ |archive-date=2023-03-22 |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=Colossal}}
• Writing Systems of the World: a chart detailing writing systems of various languages.{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Colin |date=2023-10-30 |title=The Writing Systems of the World Explained, from the Latin Alphabet to the Abugidas of India |url=https://www.openculture.com/2023/10/the-writing-systems-of-the-world-explained-from-the-latin-alphabet-to-the-abugidas-of-india.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826190225/https://www.openculture.com/2023/10/the-writing-systems-of-the-world-explained-from-the-latin-alphabet-to-the-abugidas-of-india.html |archive-date=2024-08-26 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Open Culture}}

Books released under the UsefulCharts name include:

• {{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Matt |title=The Atheist Personality: Why some people are more likely to give up God |date=2016-01-01 |publisher=UsefulCharts |isbn=9780994834669 |location=Vancouver}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Matt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=20hBzQEACAAJ |title=Timeline of World History |last2=Andrews |first2=John |date=2020-10-20 |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |isbn=978-1-64517-417-2 |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Matt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XuPPEAAAQBAJ |title=Timeline of the British Monarchy |date=2023-09-05 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-6672-0079-8 |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Matt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cu7oEAAAQBAJ |title=Timeline of the Bible |date=2024-01-09 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-6672-0078-1 |language=en}}

Biblical scholar Jacob L. Wright commented on Twitter in 2024 that Baker was "an extraordinary pedagogue" while sharing a video by UsefulCharts on the Twelve Tribes of Israel.{{Cite twitter |number=1756658221597565169 |user=JacobLWright |title=Matt Baker is truly an extraordinary pedagogue. @usefulcharts |first=Jacob L. |last=Wright |author-link=Jacob L. Wright |date=2024-02-11 |access-date=2024-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901211032/https://twitter.com/JacobLWright/status/1756658221597565169 |archive-date=2024-09-01 |url-status=live}} Mark Wilson, writing for Fast Company, said Evolution of the Alphabet "beautifully illustrated" the history of the alphabet.

{{reflist}}

{{psrs}}

Category:English-language YouTube channels

Category:Education-related YouTube channels