Conceits

Learning about visual illusions and how they work show us that reality and human perception of reality are different things, writes art historian David Cycleback in Conceits. Written as a fractured assortment of short pieces, the book is a mind bending look at peculiarities, curiosities and limitations of human thought and perception. Traversing psychology, physiology, science, art and philosophy, just a few of the thought-provoking topics include visual and optical illusions, mirages, the psychology of hitting a baseball, catch-22s in art and communication, the psychology of numeral systems, limitations of science, blind spots of logic and common everyday misperceptions of reality.