Optical Illusions

The Science of Visual Perception (Illusion Works)

 
5.0 based on 4 reviews.

Media:

Paperback Book, 312 pages

Our Price:

$6.98

List Price:

$24.95

You Save:

$17.97 (72.02 %)

Product Description

Seeing is not always believing.

Optical Illusions is an intriguing collection of baffling images and shapes that change before your eyes: hidden figures, incredible designs and dazzling graphic patterns. The book includes such well-known optical illusions as Shepard's Tabletop, Wade's Spiral, the Floating Finger illusion, Ames Room, and Rubin's Face/Vase illusion. There are more than 275 illusions in all, with explanations of each image and notes about the science of visual perception.

Every type of optical illusion is here, among them:
- Figure/ground illusions, in which one shape switches into another and back again
- Ambiguous figures
- Impossible objects
- Trompe l'oeil
- Stereo illusions.

With illusions rendered in photography, artwork and computer imaging, and its huge variety of themes and effects, Optical Illusions dazzles both the mind and the eye.

Product Details

  • Subtitle: The Science of Visual Perception (Illusion Works)
  • Media: Paperback Book, 312 pages
  • Publisher: Firefly Books (January 01, 2009)
  • Edition: Reprint
  • ISBN-10: 1554071518
  • ISBN-13: 9781554071517
  • Dimensions: 9 x 10 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.65 lbs
  • Note: Some of this information came from Amazon.com

You're Getting a Fair Price on the Books You Want

Some customers tell us we're the best bookstore on the Web, but we're not the only one. We show you other bookstores' prices so you know you're getting a fair price. Amazon sells this book for $20.04 including shipping. Usually ships in 24 hours.

Customers who bought this item also bought

$5.98 used, $7.48 new

Amazing Optical Illusions
Illusionworks

A child's introduction to the world of optical illusions. Optica...

$14.98 new

Masters of Deception
Al Seckel

Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page. Butterflies t...

$12.98 new

The Ultimate Book of Optical Illusions
Al Seckel

Prepare to be amazed! Inside the covers of this incredible,...

Customer Reviews

  • Rating Nice book, very misleading title.  Oct 29, 2006 (54 of 57 found this helpful)

    One of the most beautiful and wonderful books I own is Al Seckel's "Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusions" (2004). Unlike most other books on illusions, the book itself is a creative tour de force. And Seckel supplements his creation with visually striking and important media at his website. I think I've already given away as many as ten copies of that book to family and friends since its release.

    Another of Seckel's books that I refer to frequently "Incredible Visual Illusions: You won't believe your eyes" (2003). That book has twenty chapters, each containing a different class of illusion. As a sensory scientist who teaches courses on sensation, perception and cognition, I find this book useful because it organizes a nice collection of illusions into meaningful categories that are relevant to me. In this work, as in Seckel's many others, the author acknowledges many renowned vision scientists. I imagine that the book's organization benefited from Seckel's association with these people.

    Seckel's new book is "Optical Illusions: The Science of Visual Illusions." This is a fine book, with 281 optical illusions (one per page). The book begins with a four page essay on illusions. This is followed 281 pages of illusions, each printed to fill one page. Many of the illusions have been published by Seckel and others previously. A few of the illusions are new. The illustration section is followed by 24 pages containing BRIEF explanations of each illusion. Each explanation is, on average, seven or eight sentences.

    I have one major criticism of the new book. The title is highly misleading. The book title suggested to me a book that would delve into science, in a scholarly way, at least at the level of a Sensation and Perception undergraduate textbook. I was hoping for something of a sequel to Masters of Deception (e.g., "The Science of Deception"?). However, this book is not about the science of visual perception or of illusions. It is not even about "optical" illusions, as most illusions are explainable in terms of perceptual and cognitive processes beyond simple optics. Sure there are 24 pages of explanation at the very end of the book, but these are generally not deep, satisfying explanations. And there is no reference list that would allow the casual reader to track down important scientific articles.

    One superb, beautiful resource on the science of visual illusions is Michael Bach's website, "Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena". Bach's dynamic site is visually striking, presenting some great illusions. The explanation of each illusion is accessible to the novice, but detailed enough to satisfy and impress other perceptual scientists. Bach generously acknowledges the artists and scientists associated with each illusion, providing scholarly references in each case. Bach lists and explains scientific controversies regarding many of the illusions. I should add that Bach is a first-rate sensory scientist from the University of Freiburg. His electophysiological and psychophysical research is highly-regarded, important, and of high quality. When I have spoken to him in the past (at conferences and at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco), I have always been impressed by his knowledge and intellectual passion. Bach and his website are the real deal.

    There are plenty of other excellent scientific sources on illusions. Richard Gregory, for instance, has written and spoken about many illusions, and he is the prime mover, director, and creator of London's Explororey. Another great innovator and scientist is Christopher Tyler, a vision scientist at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. Among sensory scientists, Tyler is widely regarded as a genius and computational/theoretical wizard. He's the guy who invented the autostereogram (aka "The Magic Eye"), and who makes unique observati

  • Rating Fabulous book for children  Aug 20, 2009 (3 of 3 found this helpful)

    I provided this book to an 11 and 13 year old. They have looked at every page over and over again. Fascinated by the images.

  • Rating For curious, more deep thinking kinds of kids  Mar 20, 2010 

    My 8 year old son really enjoys this book. It is more grown up than I thought it would be. My son says "it's very fun to follow the instructions and see cool stuff."

  • Rating Illusions  May 15, 2008 (2 of 7 found this helpful)

    This is a great book. Very fun for all in the family. Fast shipping.

Place Order



$6.98
(Used, Paperback, Acceptable)

Already Own It?

We're accepting donations of this book to support non-profit literacy partners.

 
Bargain Bin Discount

Staff Picks

taff picks: New and used, from best-selling titles to best-kept secrets out of the corners of our warehouse, Better World employees share what’s on their night table. > View More Staff Picks (rss)

Geoff's Pick

Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman is brilliant. He’s got an amazing way of synthesizing massive amounts...