Senses and Sensibilities

Résumé du livre

A Guided Tour Through the Fascinating World of the Human Senses … Senses & Sensibilities Have you ever wondered what causes color blindness? Or whether the attraction between couples depends at all on smell? Or why we like ice cream better than green peas? If you’re curious about the phenomena of the human senses, here is a highly readable, nontechnical guide to the physiology and functioning of the human faculties. In this revealing examination of the intricate spheres of our senses, you will find intriguing and often surprising facts about the origin of the sensory structures, their functions and dysfunctions, and artificial augmentations of human sensation. Each of the five senses—hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch—is covered in its own chapter, with thorough discussion of how each sense is involved in your interaction with your environment and with other people. Throughout, Senses and Sensibilities offers a fascinating blend of science, research, history, folklore, and personal anecdotes that together provide a finely textured and detailed portrait of how our senses work to define our world. "From its witty title to the last page, the book is entertaining. Chock full of lore, both scientific and literary, about human sensation, and all presented in clear, simple terms." —Richard Selzer, M.D. author of Confessions of a Knife "Jillyn Smith’s book confirms the notion that the essay, in particular, the natural history essay, is the most exciting kind of writing today. Unexpected insights and feeling arise throughout. I learned new things about the human condition and the natural world on every page, and came away feeling brighter…." —Thomas J. Lyon editor of This Incomperable Lande: A Book of American Nature Writing