Customer Reviews

Mirror Mirror: A History of the Human Love Affair with Reflection

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Mirror, Mirror is a fascinating read not only for those lovers of the technical but also for those more interested in human history--as I am. Pendergrast explains scientific and technical concepts clearly. What I particularly loved about the book--besides learning a great deal about the history of science--was the way he wove in the human story. Pendergrast makes names like Herschel and Newton come alive as real people with distinct personalities. Reading a book of such quality and scope is my favorite way of learning about history and science.

There's a good chance you looked into the mirror as one of your first tasks of the day, and that you have mirrors in many of the rooms in which you live and work. You certainly have them in and on your car. Perhaps you are not fascinated by mirrors, but that may be because they are all around, ready to be taken for granted. Like most things taken for granted, it is a good idea to take notice again, and Mark Pendergrast has done so for the common and not-so-common looking glass. _Mirror Mirror: A History of the Human Love Affair with Reflection_ (Basic Books) looks at how mirrors have played roles in history, literature, technology, sex, science, and magic. There is a good deal here to reflect upon.

Our ancestors had to make do with looking into puddles, polished obsidian, and eventually polished metal. It was not until the thirteenth century that industrial mirror-making was begun, in Venice. City authorities forced the glassmakers to the island of Murano because they used such dangerous furnaces. In addition, authorities could better keep watch on the members of the glassmakers' guild if they were isolated on the island; escaping from the island carried the death penalty. Mirrors are inextricably entangled with light, and one of the pleasures of _Mirror Mirror_ is that it gives a history of our improving concepts of what light is. Telescope makers for centuries have been increasingly able to coax light to reveal secrets of our universe, and a large part of the book is about this history of telescope making. There are many stories here of mirrors that took years to grind into the perfect shape before they could be installed in famous observatories. The troublesome mirror that had to be corrected on the Hubble is here, as are newer Earth-based mirrors that can be magically adjusted to correct for atmospheric distortion.

Despite the book's subtitle, there is not a great deal here about humans looking at themselves in mirrors. There is a firm called True Mirror that makes a right-angled mirror surface that produces an unreversed reflection; wink your right eye into it and the right (not left) eye of your mirror image winks back. People looking into such a mirror can be confused, or repelled, but are often fascinated, and the makers encourage mirror gazing as an aid to self-understanding. It is clear that Pendergrast is much more impressed with mirrors used to look at our place in the universe rather than mirrors that we use to apply our make-up. He has written a fascinating book that shows that the mirrors in observatories, in orbit, in compacts, and in magic tricks reflect ourselves and our wide range of interests.

This easy-to-read book examines the role of mirrors and reflection in human history. Covering the fields of optics, astronomy, art, literature and even warfare, this book is insightful, entertaining, and quite understandable. There are also several pages of figures and photos spread throughout the book. The text is at a level understandable by a high-school student, with diagrams to explain any scientific concepts, especially those related to optics. All told, a good book.

At first I was skeptical. I have no particular interest in mirrors and very much doubted that all of human history could be reflected in their history. But in the opening chapters the author really grabbed me. The story of this one object is not only fascinating in itself but really does, in its own quirky way tell the story of the human race. I particularly enjoyed Pendergrast's mixing the science of mirrors with literature with myths. And on the way he throws out fascinating unforgettable tidbits - such as the fact that words mirror and miraculous come from the same Latin word - to view with awe.

Mark Pendergrast has a talent for writing about a complex subject and making it both understandable and entertaining. Having read his most recent book, Mirror Mirror, I am impressed with the author's versatility and research capability. In writing about the mirror, Pendergrast has explored its history and use in religion, magic, science, art, space exploration, as well as an item of vanity and self indulgence. He has presented his findings in a way that is both enjoyable and educational. The people written about range from early scientists such as Archimedes and Galileo to the modern researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The New York Times Book Review, which led me to purchase Mirror Mirror, states that it is the equivalent of a liberal arts education. I'm inclined to agree with that assessment. Give Mirror Mirror a 5-star rating.

As an artist and a psychotherapist-in-training, this book appealed to me on many levels. It's a well-researched investigation of the history of mirroring and mirror-making, the mystical and the everyday practical use of mirrors, the psychological dimensions, etc. The story of the importance of mirrors in the history of the telescope, and mankind's resultant ability to investigate the cosmos is comprehensively presented. Dense and technical in places, but fun and insightful in others. Worth the read just to get to the last chapter titled, "Final Reflections: Illusions and Realities".

As a person somewhat 'expert' in mirror research (see Keenan et al., The Face in the Mirror: The Search for the Origins of Consciousness), I am always on the lookout for solid research on the topic of mirrors. Mark Pendergrast has put together a great book on the topic. This is the most comprehensive title that one can buy if interested in the history of mirrors.

His reserach is pretty amazing. Even though I have researched the topic for years, I still learned a tremendous amount reading this book. It is noted that Mark Pendergrast makes the reading entertaining. A nice surprise.

Thumbs up all the way...

Julian Paul Keenan

I find Mark Pendergrast's "Mirror Mirror: ..." compellingly satisfying reading. I even bought two extra copies to give to friends. Pendergrast brings life to the topic of mirrors in a manner that is capitivating, and anything but boring and academic. His balanced and lively treatment of topics, from the history of mirrors through modern-day applications, is well-researched and fascinating reading. The chapters on mirrors in astronomy are particularly interesting and factually accurate. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in a largely neglected, albeit important, facet of human culture and technology.

This is a must-read. Interesting, informative, stimulating, well-written, and well-researched. I will recommend it to all my friends and so should you. It's high on my list of gifts for the upcoming holiday season. Buy it and see what I mean. You'll thank me.

As he did with his history of coffee, Pendergrast once again grasps the influence of one item in human history and, thus, modern society. His grasp of the scientific phenomennon involvig mirrors, and the importance of the study of light in modern science, the relativisti theory, etc. makes this book a more than complete insight into human history, "Through the Looking Glass".

I value Pendergrast's books for the perspective they provide to history, and the way he manages to make the whole subject entertaining. This book is not only educative in history and science, but also an easy read.