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"Wednesday is Indigo Blue. Discovering the World of Synesthesia" by Richard E. Cytowic & David M. Eagleman (2009)
, 4 Oct 2014
"In synesthesia two
or more senses are automatically and involuntarily coupled such that a
voice, for example, is not only heard, but additionally felt, seen, or
tasted." It is a genetic modification that affects sensory perception
and mixes sensations and perceptions that are separated in different
areas of the brain, so it can alleatorily mix sounds with colours, touch with images, numbers with music, and so on. Synaesthesia has forced
neurologists to rethink the traditional block/area division of the
brain in self-sufficient and independent areas that are devoted to
specific tasks and worked its play in the validation of neuroplasticity.
The
book is written by two neurologists and synesthesia researchers, and
offers the reader a clear, entertaining and well organised description,
categorisation and analysis of the different neurological conditions
called synesthesia, which affected, among other famous people, writer
Nabokov and painter Kandinsky. The books is scientifically rigorous but written in a very approachable language,
easily understandable by the lay reader, with a great deal of pictures,
diagrams and drawings that will help you to understand better. Still, it contains the notes, footnotes,
bibliography necessary to made it academic-friendly. The book as an
epilogue by Navokok's son Dimitri, who, like his father, is also a
synaesthete.
The
book can be a bit dry at times, as the matter is scientifically
described and categorised, but here the detail in the description is not
superfluous as it serves to highlight the many variations and varieties
of synaesthesia, a word that in fact describes things that are very
different from a perceptual and sensorial point of view.
The
tones and writing styles of the two authors are evident through the
book, even though none of the chapters is attributed to any of them
explicitdly. The last two chapters are, perhaps, the most interesting
ones for both neurology students and neurology aficionados.
The edition of the book is wonderful, with glossy paper, coloured headers and footers differentiated by chapter, and plenty of illustrations. One o those books that are rarely published in our modern times, especially because the book is directed to the general public not just the medical world. A book difficult to find and a bit expensive that, however, you can borrow from your local library and really enjoy.
The edition of the book is wonderful, with glossy paper, coloured headers and footers differentiated by chapter, and plenty of illustrations. One o those books that are rarely published in our modern times, especially because the book is directed to the general public not just the medical world. A book difficult to find and a bit expensive that, however, you can borrow from your local library and really enjoy.
The book will fascinate you, especially if you haven't heard or read anything about synaesthesia before, and have a fascination for neurology and the study of the brain.
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