Al Seckel Book order

Featuring over 180 optical illusions, this collection offers a captivating journey through the world of visual perception. It includes a diverse range of illusions, from classical works by Da Vinci to modern computer-generated images, all presented in vibrant color. Al Seckel, a cognitive vision scientist, provides insightful explanations of how these illusions trick the brain, revealing the complexities of visual interpretation and challenging our understanding of reality. Discover how size, shape, and perspective can be deceiving in this fascinating exploration.

Every type of optical illusion is here, along with notes about the science of each visual perception and how the illusions work.

Prepare to be amazed! Inside the covers of this incredible, colorful collection are hundreds of the world’s most powerful optical illusions. They’re beautiful to behold, and stunning in their trickery. Some of the mind-boggling images seem to spring into action, vibrating, pulsing, and spinning like a hula hoop. Other ambiguous illusions feature two subjects in one: the fun is in finding them both in the single picture—including a mouse playing hide and seek in a cat’s face and a strange desert mirage where palm trees imperceptibly morph into camels. And still more, like “The Impossible Terrace,” which couldn’t exist off the page: just try to figure out if you’re viewing the space from above or below. Every one is astonishing.

It defies logic! At least, that's what puzzle-doers will think as they work their way through this largest-ever compendium of geometric conundrums. When you look at these images--some classic, others never-before published--you'll have a hard time believing what the captions say about their size, shape, or other geometric aspect. For example, two tables appear radically different to the naked eye--but they're actually identical in size and shape. It's all a matter of perspective and perception. Each puzzle is eye-opening.

First you see one thing, then another. The picture changes from one moment to the next, flip-flopping back and forth. That's an ambiguous illusion, and the ones in this largest-ever collection offer constant, pleasurable surprises. Sometimes, the perceptual shift occurs if you just stare at the visual puzzle long enough; in other cases, it's necessary to invert or rotate the image first. In one picture, it's a cat-and-mouse game as you try to discover where the mouse is hiding from the cat. Another image features two minstrels playing homage to William Shakespeare--but at first, only the familiar portrait of the bard may be apparent. Once the dual nature of the illusion reveals itself, you'll never see just one object again.

30 fascinating optical illusions rendered in photography, artwork and computer graphics and explained in clear language for young readers.

Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page, butterflies that transform right before your eyes into two warriers with their horses, this book of optical illusions contains these examples of visual trickery and more astonishing creations by masters of the art.