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Al Seckel

Art Of Optical Illusions Paperback – September 1, 2000

by Al Seckel (Author)

4.7 16 ratings

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Optical illusions have fascinated the human mind for centuries. Bu defying common perception and the working of the eye with stuble, mind-teasing images, optical illusions are presented in both color and black and white.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Carlton Books Ltd
Publication date

September 1, 2000
Dimensions

9 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches
ISBN-10

1842220543
ISBN-13

978-1842220542
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carlton Books Ltd; 1st edition (September 1, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1842220543
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1842220542
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,758,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,651 in Graphic Design Techniques
- #16,411 in Arts & Photography Criticism

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4.7 16 ratings

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4.7 out of 5

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MQR

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2014

Nephew love it!

The Wonderful Art of Illusions - They Never Break!

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015

A really really lovely and fun book for my nieces. The reviewer who gave this book 1 star because it was lost in the post (!) is ridiculous as that issue had 0 to do with the quality of the content! I and my nieces are fans of Optical Illusions and however 'old' or often you see them, they never break! lol.

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2001

Verified Purchase

Nicely done. I am happy with the purchase. However, I expected more elaboration on theory behind the ilusions.

2 people found this helpful

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Jerry Guild

Is this an illusion,or am I seeing things?

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2005

Another wonderful work by Al Seckel and an appropriate companion to his other gem "Master's of Detection".See my review of it dated Dec 1,2004.

This is a fine collection of 144 intriguing illusions.There are examples of a lot of different forms of illusions.I say a lot because there is one form which I like which is not included. That being "trompe-l'oeil" which is French for still-life deception,illusion,sham or camouflage.A well known artist who excels at it is Bev Doolittle.

Al has included many of the classic illusions,of which 105 is an example from the puzzle master Sam Loyd,and crops up in many books.No.5 is really good being a combination of a photograph of a man holding an "impossible figure".Nos.10 & 104 are similar,but 10 jumps out at me while 104 is something else!No.26 and 139 would have to be called "real illusions".No.139 reminds me of an experience I had on the Marsh Boardwalk at Point Pelee National Park during spring bird migration.An American Bittern,which stands about 20 inches tall, was standing in the reeds about 30 feet from me in a similar pose;except the bill was pointed straight up.The bird held itself completely motionless while I pointed it out to quite a few people over a period of a half hour or so.Some had great dificulty in picking it out,even with binoculars.What a thrill it was for them when they finally "found it".

A few are ageless ones namely,14(which reminds me of another of a girl in a mirror),77,95,147 and 144 ;but always good to see again.No. 119 is a switch where you get to make and solve your own illusion or puzzle.

Kudos to Jerry,see review of Oct 23,2000,who states:

"The mind is blind to what the eye can't see".Well said!

Anyway, a great treatment of illusions and sure to catch the interest of young and not so young,and all in between.

'

One person found this helpful

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Lee Mellott

Eye candy for the imagination!

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2000

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!

14 people found this helpful

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Fernando Melendez

A Brilliant Collection, by fermed

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2000

Al Seckel has done a wonderful job of assembling this great collection of visual illusions. It is lavishly illustrated - mostly one illusion per page - with the majority in full color, allowing the reader a generous view of the eye-teasing pictures. Some are classical illusions, redesigned and improved, and others were brand new to me. The accompanying text is concise and helpful.
A sensory illusion is essentially a deception in which physical stimuli are arranged in such a way as to make them appear different from what they really are. It is a form of cheating the senses through appearances. But why would anyone be interested in such distortions?
Painters, of course, were the first professionals to make full use of visual deception by making our eyes believe that when we are looking at their two-dimensional canvasses we are seeing a thre-dimensional world. They cheated our eyes (and our brains too) into contributing "depth" to their flat works. Velazquez's great "Las Meninas" is the prototype of how optical illusions can be elevated to great art.
But there is much more to it than that: decorators, designers, psychologists, philosophers (Aristotle was intrigued by the sensory illusion, illustrated in this book, in which a person "senses" that they have two noses), engineers, children, physicians, and the generally curious should take some time to be entertained by by these figures, for illusions can be a wellspring to unexpected creativity.
Recently V. S. Ramachandran, a physician and neuroscientist, started using optical illusions to control the intractable pain experienced by amputees in their missing limbs. His book is called "Phantoms in the Brain." Ah, you may say, how can it be possible for a hand that no longer exists to create an itch (an unscratchable itch, of course) or a pain, or even a sensation in the amputee? Ell, it does, to the extent that some amputees are driven to suicide by their intractable illusions of pain and itch and discomfort in their non-exiting limbs. Ramachandran combats one sensory illusion (of pain) with a visual illusion of an existing hand, and amazingly teaches the victims of "phantom" limbs how to obtain relief that way.
Personally, I bought this volume to give to a young friend for her 10th birthday. This book (and a ruler) will teach her that things in this world are frequently not the way they appear to be. She might as well learn that bit of scientific intelligence as soon as possible.

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