Perception

June 1, 2020
This thoughtful book considers how our physical attributes affect the way we perceive the world. It's generally accepted that our social and cultural experiences shape our perceptions, but psychology professor Proffitt and journalist Baer cite numerous research studies undertaken by an array of psychologists, neurologists, and sociologists that indicate how our senses (touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing) create individual realities for every person. Occasionally the content gets a little technical, but the overall tone is conversational and includes numerous relatable examples: tired pedestrians perceive distances much differently than physically fit athletes do; patients who have received numbing Botox injections take longer to read sentences that require sad or angry (brow-furrowing) reactions. Divided into three sections? Doing, Knowing, and Belonging ?the book covers a lot of territory but keeps circling back to its basic premise: we do not perceive the world as it really is, but as we see it?and we all see it differently. The book ends with a warning about artificial intelligence and a reminder that we need our personal perceptions to create viable realities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)