R. L. Richard Langton Gregory Books

With 1001 A-Z entries, ranging from brief statements to substantial essays on major topics, The Oxford Companion to the Mind takes the reader on a lively tour of this endlessly fascinating subject, spanning questions and answers within the broad compass of philosophy, psychology, and the physiology of the brain. This hugely-popular reference work offers an explanatory guide to everyday mysteries--deja vu, jet-lag, humor, and optical illusions--as well as an intelligent look at the more controversial world of parapsychology, including ESP and altered states of consciousness. Current issues such as aging, artificial intelligence, and criminology are examined in depth. The book provides a special tutorial article on the workings of the nervous system, and boasts a great number of articles on 'topics of mental life', in which well-known writers discuss subjects in which they have a particular expertise or interest. The entries are arranged alphabetically and linked by a network of helpful cross-references. The 200 illustrations have been carefully chosen to amplify the text, while specialist bibliographies provide suggestions for further reading. The whole work is served by a comprehensive index, making this a Companion for instant reference as well as continuous reading.

In Seeing Through Illusions , renowned scientist Richard Gregory explores what visual illusions can tell us about how our brains perceive the world. Looking at optical tricks and many other extraordinary phenomena, Gregory explains how scientists use these anomalies to peel back the normalprocesses of perception, and to reveal how the brain performs the remarkable feat of representing the real world with the kind of richness and accuracy which we experience--and take for granted--every day. And these visual illusions not only tell us about how our brain works, but they also revealthe brain's evolutionary past. Traces of earlier stages remain buried within our brains like stratified layers, laid down through evolutionary time, and Gregory shows how the study of different kinds of illusions reveals glimpses of these layers. Interweaving science with reflections on art andphilosophy, fascinating psychological case-studies, and some amazing visual phenomena, this book addresses questions about our brains that have puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries.