The most recommended books on perception

I chose this because it was probably the first historical novel I read, aged 11 or 12. It deals with real events – sort of. Whether the Children’s Crusades of the early 13th century really involved children or merely the dispossessed poor, this book did bring to life the driving force of the religious fanaticism of the time. And whipping up young people to leave their homes and head for a war zone in the hope of dying or killing for God is a horribly contemporary theme, though it was written in the 1950s. An excellent introduction to historical fiction for young people, but also thought-provoking for adults.

On the last page of The Continuity of Mind, I playfully hinted at a sequel (probably written by someone else) that would continue the paradigm’s push not just away from a “computer metaphor for the mind” but even beyond a brain-based approach to cognition. A couple of years later, Tony Chemero published Radical Embodied Cognitive Science, which (to me) felt like that sequel. 

In Radical Embodied Cognitive Science, Chemero draws on philosophy, then on cognitive psychology, then on dynamical systems theory, then on ecological psychology, and finally back to philosophy to tell the story of a progressive interdisciplinary approach to understanding sensorimotor processing and human experience as belonging to the natural order – rather than being some unique phenomenon that has no overlap with the rest of the natural world. After setting the stage with a treatment of the philosophical background and defining what the theoretical stakes… show more.

This is a wonderful story about self-confidence, self-esteem, and being kind to ourselves. It is easy to want what others have and oftentimes comparing ourselves brings about negative emotions. This story teaches us to embrace our differences and accept ourselves as we are.

Do stones sit still or do they constantly travel and transform? Both are true!

This lyrical work of fiction explores the stillness and permanency of a single stone. As the world around the stone whirls with activity, the stone remains in place. Though it may seem to change, appearing purple in the moonlight, for example, and though it is perceived and used in a wide range of ways by a wide variety of creatures, it doesn’t budge.

This soothing story invites children to think about the passage of time and to contemplate all a stone experiences as it sits in stillness.

Exploring how and why Romans built their houses to impact all bodily senses sits at the heart of my book.

Whilst interest in planning and building for such full body experiences in architecture today has declined, Pallasmaa’s The Eyes of the Skin presents a compelling argument for the importance of understanding the role of the multiple bodily senses in our experience of built spaces around us.

Divided into two main sections, the first of these examines the pre-eminence of sight in the West and its detrimental impact on architectural practise and our built environs.

The second part considers the role played our other bodily senses in experiencing architecture and proposes a new approach to building design and construction which seeks to integrate full sensory experience into the architectural process.

Man and woman together form one unit but maintain their two distinct identities. It is always a challenge and dynamic. Both parts of the unit have their own insecurities to deal with while maintaining relations with the other.

Kundera beautifully captured these tensions in the book. The emotional struggle of the two protagonists was interesting to read, and we all can relate to it. Overcoming these to be together forms the beauty of life itself.

When I was a kid I was very excited about wolves. Not in the sense that I knew a lot about wolves—I didn’t study them and learn about them—so much as I felt certain, in my heart of hearts, that if I met a wolf, we would understand each other in a way no two creatures ever have. Feed Them Silence is a book that returned me to that sense of certainty, but with a more fundamentally realistic understanding of the nature of animals as existing outside of human understanding. I couldn’t put it down, and the hours slipped right past me.

Reading this book completely changed how I think about the world around me.

Actually, I should say “worlds,” because Uexküll explores, both lyrically and scientifically, how the umwelt (often translated as “lifeworld”) of each animal is unique, likening each one to a separate “soap bubble,” each with its own particular character, but nonetheless all connected, as if in a giant symphony.

I admire those rare books of historical importance that manage to remain contemporary, and this book has lost none of its relevance since its original publication in 1934. A touchstone for major contemporary philosophers such as Giorgio Agamben, Gilles Deleuze, and Peter Sloterdijk, Uexküll’s famous foray is widely viewed as one of the founding texts of contemporary theoretical biology, biosemiotics, and posthumanist thought.

I know I was a few years late getting to this one, and that’s on me, as it was in my TBR pile since the day it was released. I found the book intensely captivating. It drew me in from the very first page, and from there, it’s a rollicking, non-stop thrill ride to the end.

Combine that with the very realistic depictions of the Institute itself, which you can almost believe is a real place.

King has always been great at bringing his characters to life, and this book is no exception. It is classic King, and I would recommend it to any fan of horror or supernatural thrillers.

I love this book because it tackles big questions on the female front—including those young girls have about religion: Why is Eve blamed for everything? Why is God always portrayed as a man?

Main character Agnes itches with questions. But girls aren’t supposed to question authority. As she thinks more and more about the deep things, Agnes wrestles when her own opinions and finds her courage to challenge the status quo—as every girl needs to do!