The Great Book of Optical Illusions [Paperback]

Al Seckel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2005

It is said that "seeing is believing." But what if the picture you see is hard to believe? Maybe it appears to be something else entirely.

In The Great Book of Optical Illusions, Al Seckel brings together a collection of fascinating visual puzzles and enigmatic designs that make the viewer wonder: How does this work? What does it really contain?

From collections of baffling shapes that defy the viewer to work out the hidden figures, to dazzling patterns that appear to change on the page, here are optical illusions found in classical art and through history to the most modern of visual tricks.

There are more than 280 color and black and white illustrations in the book, from Illusionworks, the world's leading brand of illusion artworks.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This visually stunning collection will appeal to illusion enthusiasts as well as to art lovers. It presents more than 270 classic examples and works of art that incorporate them. The book is divided into "galleries" and endnotes explain individual entries and how they work. One could spend hours exploring its thoughtful arrangement and the excellent-quality, full-color and black-and-white reproductions. There is factual information about the science behind the illusions, a bit about the artists, and about the types of illusion. However, this is, by and large, a sophisticated coffee-table book that young people will enjoy poring over and figuring out what they see or think they see.
Cynde Suite, formerly at Horry County Memorial Library, Surfside Beach, SC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A leading authority on visual perception and a designer of interactive galleries for science museums around the world, Seckel here assembles more than 300 visual illusions, some of which have fascinated viewers for centuries and others that are designed specifically to challenge one's visual intelligence in today's world. The book collects traditional puzzles such as eternal spirals and ground/field reversal images, as well as works by such artists as M.C. Escher and Ren Magritte; other illusions involve themes, photographs, and sculptures from the last 20 years. Visual science, which the author claims has become "one of the most exciting areas in current scientific research," not only challenges and tricks the reader but encourages us to look differently at our own world. This is a fun-packed book, divided into seven galleries, with illusions depicted in full color. Each illusion presents the reader with a question or a problem to solve, with the answer and explanation given in detail at the end of each gallery. A glossary of terms and a list of resources are also provided. A highly useful and entertaining book for public, school, and academic libraries.
David A. Berone, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (July 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552976505
• ISBN-13: 978-1552976500
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids, too..., April 19, 2004

By 

Robert Anderson (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Book of Optical Illusions (Paperback)

This book has hundreds of drawings and photographs that trick the eye in one way or another (color, perspective, hidden pictures, illusions of movement, etc). After every 20 pages or so there is a page that has a one or two sentence blurb giving background information or commentary on each illusion.

My kids (ages 5 and 7) love looking through this book, and it's a great mental exercise for them, pondering how the effects are achieved and discovering what exactly the illusion is that's presented on each page. Note however, that some of the illusions are too cerebral for kids this age, or require too much patience to see.

I would have liked the book even more if it had a section that discussed the concept of illusion and how the biology of eyesight and psychology plays it's part.

Overall, an excellent book!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC!, October 25, 2002

By 

Marsha (San Francisco, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Book of Optical Illusions (Paperback)

I was totally absorbed by this book. It is not often that I find a book that my whole family is fighting over to read! Every page was an absolute delight. I particularly enjoyed that the author did not speak down to his audience in his explanations, and that I gained some insight into how these illusions work, which for me was the most interesting part. Of course, the illusions were very very cool!!!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why I Only Gave 'The Great Book of Optical Illusions' 3 Stars., May 14, 2006

By 

AlettaJohnson "A Homebound Reader" (Oklahoma County, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Book of Optical Illusions (Paperback)

This book disappointed me. Because the first three sections are identical to 'Art Of Optical Illusions' which I'd already read. Even if you've already read 'Art Of Optical Illusions' the last sections of this book are worth reading.

AlettaJohnson