Seeing Double

by J. Richard Block

Book Overview

A psychologist and collector, Block has put his life's work, his enthusiasm, and his knowledge into this treasure trove of puzzles, illusions, and double diversions. Each page is guaranteed to surprise and delight, while celebrating the amazing flexibility and creativity of the human mind. and mind-bending illustrations that trick the eye into seeing two different images-and never both at the same time. Double illusions, upside-downs, ambiguous...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415934826
• ISBN13: 9780415934824
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

GREAT FUN & yet very educational...understanding how the brain really works!

This is the second book on visual illusions by J Richard Block, the author, after his earlier book entitled 'Can You Believe Your Eyes'. Both are printed in large format. In fact, there is also a card deck which amplifies the earlier book. Both books discussed the phenomena of human perception through hundreds of perplexing visual illusions & mind-bending eye tricks gathered from around the world. The entire collection in the two books is definitely amazing and unique in some way. The best learning experiences I got out of these two wonderful books are a greater understanding - & appreciation - of how the brain really works. I often use many of the visual illusions to demonstrate the principal operating principles of the brain, particularly the salient aspects of selective recognition and patterning. I have also found that some of them have been very useful in demonstrating cognitive traps & pattern interrupts, especially in the context of personal creativity. Although the visual illusions are fun to play with, I find them very educational, just as what I have elaborated. There is another type of visual illusions, known as random dot stereograms (some people call them 3D visual illusions), which are more fun but somewhat harder to play with. Nevertheless, they are also very educational, especially in understanding - & appreciating - how the brain really works!

There's more than one way of looking at things

This book is plenty of fun. It begins with images that can be seen in two ways depending on what you regard as the background. Next are multiple figures that share contours, where the background is not the key to the ambiguity. Then we have a short chapter where you see different figures depending on whether you look at the left-hand or right-hand part of the image. After that come some rather famous images that are composed of several smaller images. The chapter I liked the best was about images that change into related images when you turn the book upside down. This includes four of the famous Gustav Verbeek "Muffaroo and Lovekins" cartoon strips (written in 1903 and 1904). And the book concludes with a variety of other illusions. I was surprised that it is so easy to produce interesting illusions. But I don't want to take anything away from the artists: what they created shows terrific imagination and talent.

A treasure trove of mind-challenging sights

Over 200 illusions and examples of mind-bending tricks are included in Seeing Double, an enthusiastically recommended guide which tricks the eye into seeing two different images of each selection - and never at the same time. These are hand-drawn renderings both antique and contemporary taken from around the world, providing both well-known and unusual images from double illusions and ambiguous images to puzzles. A treasure trove of mind-challenging sights.