Customer Reviews

Art Of Optical Illusions

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Its not often you find a book that challenges the intellect, is fun to read, yet appeals to many age groups. Al Seckel has accomplished this demanding task with his book "The Art of Optical Illusions". Seckel presents the illusions as if you were touring an art gallery. He acts as a guide who lets you explore the visuals freely yet helps you understand them with succinct explanations if needed. Seckel does this by dividing his book into 4 gallerys. Each gallery includes a number of illusions, one per page. At the end of each gallery there are notes that help further explain the visual. You are able to enjoy and explore the illusions and reference the notes if you wish to know more. The illusions range from the simple to the more sophisticated. Each illusion is beautifully rendered thus enhancing its effects. I was delighted to find an old favorite,"the floating finger" and fascinated by many I had never seen including "gesture of a dancer"! Approximately 150 illusions are included, some in black and white others in color. The book is in large paperback format making it reader friendly. The quality of the pages, texture and thickness enhance the pleasure of discovering each illusion. This is a book that will stimulate creativity and provide hours of pleasure for young and old alike! A nice coffee table book that will be used!

Professor Al Seckel of Caltech has put together an excellent book of many delightful illusions. The book contains both photographs as well as drawings, paintings, collages & sketches. Virtually all of them will trick your eyes the first time you see them.

A very nice feature of the book is that it also includes scientific & pyschological explanations for how & why our minds interpret various geometrical drawings as having dimensions that are not possible under the laws of physics in our universe. There are many others which show either 2 faces in one or 2 objects in one. It is fun to recognize one of them right away, then search diligently for the other one; it will appear if you give it time.

As advertised, this is a wonderful book for people of all ages. It is a delightful book to show to pre-schoolers and adults alike. It would also be of particular interest to graduate students in pyschology, physics and philosophy. Some of my favorites are the chessboard illusions as well as #5, #54, #69, #71, #78 & #104. I would recommend that you buy your own copy of this delightful book so that you may pick out your own favorites!

It is a great compliment to me to be one of the of artists who appear in this fine book. (Illustrations 11 & 26) Since I currently own nearly every book on optical illusions ever published, I am happy to be part of a book that illustrates the artistic aspect of a field that is usually treated as a scientific curiousity. The eye is blind to what the mind can't see. This book helps give the viewer the experience that the visual world is a personal creation. The way we see the world is the way we see ourselves. This book celebrates the visual world and our own self discovery.

The award for "Best Book for Young Adults" was an understatement. My boys could not put it down! And their friends come over and get totally absorbed in it too! I watched all of them crowd around this book and discuss each image endlessly. Finally, something tore them away from playstation! Thank you Al!

An excellent book on a fascinating subject that is often treated too much as a mere amusement without further inquiries into the cognitive dissonances to which are eyes and minds are susceptible. I bought several copies to give away - then I had to have one for myself.

This is the most striking collection of illusions that I have ever seen. I have taught perception and visual cognition at the university level for decades but many of the illusions were new to me. The production is so masterful that the viewer not only experiences the illusion at full strength, but obtains an aesthetic treat as well. This book would be a wonderful gift for anyone with an interest in vision science, visual art, or visual experience. Short creator/explanatory sketches are provided for each of the illusions though, as the author notes, a complete explanation is wanting for many of them. Perhaps Al Seckel would consider opening his extraordinary web site for more discussion/explanation as to the basic visual mechanisms underlying these illusions.

I,unbeknown at the time, had the good fortune to meet the Author, Al Seckel this summer while on a dinosaur prospecting campout in Montana. Al Seckel and I spent several days prospecting during which time we discussed a wide range of subjects. I found Al to be very courteous, knowledgeable,likeable and possessed all the positive arbites of a perfect prospecting companion. I did however, detect an aurora of mystery surrounding Al in his mannerism related to our discussions. Several days ago I received a package in the mail. Upon opening the package, it was a book titled The Art of OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.At the top right corner of the cover the name read AL SECKEL. The book was sent to me and my wife as a gift by Al Seckel. The mysterious aurora that I had detected in Al during our prospecting venture was now answered. My wife Gail and I have read, viewed,and viewed, and continue to view and study the illusions displayed in this book with complete amazement. The illusions reawakened and replenished our somewhat stale minds to an awareness that only one who reads and views the content in the book can describe. I highly recommend the book for all ages. If the book can reawaken an old and stale mind,imagine what the book can do in furthering a developing mind. In rating the Book titled The Art of OPTICAL ILLUSIONS,I rate this book as five stars plus.

This comprehensive book is a must for anyone who loves optical illusions. Seckel has included the classics as well as many intriguing ones I had never seen before. The book is very professionally produced, with glossy, colorful pages, and a holographic-type cover. Buy it--you won't be disappointed.

I was very impressed with the illusions in this book. I have viewed many illusions before, but this book had many I had never seen. My 12 year old boy loved the book too. He looked at it for quite some time and was utterly amazed. I enjoyed that because he actually had to use his brain to figure things out. Very good!

This is an amazing collection of illusions! I am a vision scientist and have seen quite a lot of visual illusions, but this book contains new illusions that I've never seen before. Fascinating! This collection features the latest in contemporary visual illusions as well as novel twists on classic visual illusions. The color graphics are beautiful, and the illusions are compelling on both a scientific and aesthetic level. My favorite one is on p. 12.