Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia [Hardcover]

Richard E. Cytowic (Author), David M. Eagleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2009

A person with synesthesia might feel the flavor of food on her fingertips, sense the letter "J" as shimmering magenta or the number "5" as emerald green, hear and taste her husband's voice as buttery golden brown. Synesthetes rarely talk about their peculiar sensory gift--believing either that everyone else senses the world exactly as they do, or that no one else does. Yet synesthesia occurs in one in twenty people, and is even more common among artists. One famous synesthete was novelist Vladimir Nabokov, who insisted as a toddler that the colors on his wooden alphabet blocks were "all wrong." His mother understood exactly what he meant because she, too, had synesthesia. Nabokov's son Dmitri, who recounts this tale in the afterword to this book, is also a synesthete--further illustrating how synesthesia runs in families. In Wednesday Is Indigo Blue, pioneering researcher Richard Cytowic and distinguished neuroscientist David Eagleman explain the neuroscience and genetics behind synesthesia's multisensory experiences. Because synesthesia contradicted existing theory, Cytowic spent twenty years persuading colleagues that it was a real--and important--brain phenomenon rather than a mere curiosity. Today scientists in fifteen countries are exploring synesthesia and how it is changing the traditional view of how the brain works. Cytowic and Eagleman argue that perception is already multisensory, though for most of us its multiple dimensions exist beyond the reach of consciousness. Reality, they point out, is more subjective than most people realize. No mere curiosity, synesthesia is a window on the mind and brain, highlighting the amazing differences in the way people see the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"No one has done more than Richard Cytowic and David Eagleman to bring a careful neuroscientific attention to synesthesia, grounded in decades of research and reports from thousands of patients. Their work has changed the way we think of the human brain, and Wednesday Is Indigo Blue is a unique and indispensable guide for anyone interested in how we perceive the world." --Oliver Sacks

(Oliver Sachs )

"A fascinating survey of the enormous variety and creativity of the synaesthetic mind."--Daniel Tammet, synesthete and author of Born on a Blue Day

(Daniel Tammet )

"A fascinating survey of the enormous variety and creativity of the synesthetic mind." Daniel Tammet , synesthete and author of Born on a Blue Day

"Filled with detailed tables, clarifying illustrations, and instructive chapters, this title, which includes an afterword by Nabokov's son Dmitri (also a synesthete), should be required reading for teachers and anyone who works with children." Library Journal

"This is a clear, clever book that will appeal to synaesthetes in search of explanations, and to all with a passion for neurology's wild territory." Liz Else New Scientist

"Twenty years ago, synesthesia -- the automatic conjoining of two or more senses -- was regarded by scientists (if at all) as a rare curiosity. We now know that perhaps one person in twenty is synesthetic, and so we must regard it as an essential, and fascinating, part of the human experience. Indeed, it may well be the basis and inspiration for much of human imagination and metaphor. No one has done more than Richard Cytowic and David Eagleman to bring a careful neuroscientific attention to synesthesia, grounded in decades of research and reports from thousands of patients. Their work has changed the way we think of the human brain, and Wednesday Is Indigo Blue is a unique and indispensable guide for anyone interested in how we perceive the world." Oliver Sacks

About the Author

Richard E. Cytowic, M.D., founded Capitol Neurology, a private clinic in Washington, D.C., and teaches at George Washington University Medical Center. He is the author of Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses and The Man Who Tasted Shapes, both published by the MIT Press. David M. Eagleman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Center for Synesthesia Research.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1 edition (February 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262012790
• ISBN-13: 978-0262012799
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indigo Blue is Golden April 7, 2009

By M. Seaberg

Format:Hardcover

Dr. Richard Cytowic and David Eagleman serve up a feast for the senses in this wonderful synesthesia book.

Not only is it full of scientific and anecdotal evidence for the condition, it is also highly readable, features eye-popping graphics and rings true for those of us who experience the condition.

With an afterword by Dmitri Nabokov and a rare interview with artist David Hockney (both synesthetes) those who appreciate both the sciences and the arts will find something to love here.

In the spirit of Dr. Oliver Sacks, their empathy and caring for their subjects shines through with great humanity.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting September 7, 2010

By Erika Mitchell TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This book provides a detailed examination of the science of synesthesia. Cytowic and Eagleman are leading synesthesia researchers. In this book, they present a detailed description of synesthesia, providing a catalog of synesthesia experiences and an overview of current theories of how these experiences come about. Types of synesthesia experiences are enumerated in the first part of the book, with separate chapters devoted to graphemes provoking colors, sounds provoking colors, spatial sequences provoking forms, sensations involving taste, and emotional triggers and synesthetic sensations. The authors also discuss the connection of synesthesia experiences to metaphor and art before delving into the neuropsychology and science behind synesthesia. The book is well documented with endnotes citing numerous published studies and an extensive bibliography.

This book is a very formal description of synethestic phenomena, but still accessible to general readers. I didn't find the first part of the book, in which the various kinds of synthestic experiences are described in detail, particularly engaging, but others, especially those who experience synesthesia themselves may be reassured in finding that synesthesia is indeed a recognized and normal part of the human experience for many people. I found the last part of the book, in which the authors describe the varying theories behind synesthesia quite informative and thought-provoking. The authors argue that "synesthesia is a latent capacity in everyone." They remind us that seeing is a matter of perception in the brain, not a direct reflection of the physical environment. And finally, they point out that synesthesia may only be the tip of the iceberg for cross talk within the brain, noting "What would be the consequence of increased cross talk between brain regions that are not sensory--for example, between frontal areas involved in cognition or moral reasoning? What happens when areas involved in memory and planning express higher than normal interaction? Could this be the basis of increased creativity, intelligence, or madness? Our future understanding of the mechanism of synesthesia may shed light on mental, cognitive, and emotional talents or disorders."

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole New World - Wow May 7, 2009

By P. Hawthorn

Format:Hardcover

Unbelievable! This is a whole new world I never knew existed. The chapter on art and creativity is fascinating in its discussion of synesthetic artists.The section on David Hockey (complete with an interview!) is worth the price alone. The book is loaded with gorgeous color illustrations. I wish I had this ability. I'm still walking around stunned at the scope of Cytowic and Eagleman's work. The writing is beautiful, too, with a strong voice. You'd never guess it was written by two people.