My childhood says "Spirograph" for some reason

The New York Times has an interesting set of graphs that show economic motion over time. It's a Cartesian space that illustrates the industrial production as it moves through four areas: expansion, slowdown, downturn, and recovery. As our production moves through these phases over time, the graph tracks the cyclical motion.

I felt it had real value in allowing me to get a little bit more grasp on what was happening. Make sure to visit all 9 pages for the full story (and some cool animation).

LINK to The New York Times