[musikele]

I also have this alias to my config

    [alias]
       lg = log --color --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit --branches

It shows a coincise colored graph of your commits and branches.

[alex_smart]

I have something almost identical, except for the `—-graph` part. That way I have the flexibility to get either the linear view or the graph view by adding that single flag.