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Perception : how our bodies shape our minds  Cover Image Book Book

Perception : how our bodies shape our minds / Dennis Proffitt and Drake Baer.

Proffitt, Dennis R. (Author). Baer, Drake. (Added Author).

Summary:

"Over decades of study, University of Virginia psychologist Dennis Proffitt has shown that we are each living our own personal version of Gulliver's Travels, where the size and shape of the things we see are scaled to the size of our bodies, and our ability to interact with them. Stairs look less steep as dieters lose weight, baseballs grow bigger the better players hit, hills look less daunting if you're standing next to a close friend, and learning happens faster when you can talk with your hands. Written with journalist Drake Baer, Perception marries academic rigor with mainstream accessibility. The research presented and the personalities profiled will show what it means to not only have, but be, your unique human body. The positive ramifications of viewing ourselves from this embodied perspective include greater athletic, academic, and professional achievement, more nourishing relationships, and greater personal well-being. The better we can understand what our bodies are-what they excel at, what they need, what they must avoid -- the better we can live our lives."--From publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781250219114 (hc.)
  • Physical Description: 289 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
  • Edition: 1st ed.
  • Publisher: New York : St. Martin's Press, 2020.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subject: Mind and body.
Perception.
Somesthesia.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Valemount Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date
Valemount Public Library anf 153.7 pro (Text) 35194014315550 Adult non-fiction Volume hold Available -

  • Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 June #1
    This thoughtful book considers how our physical attributes affect the way we perceive the world. It's generally accepted that our social and cultural experiences shape our perceptions, but psychology professor Proffitt and journalist Baer cite numerous research studies undertaken by an array of psychologists, neurologists, and sociologists that indicate how our senses (touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing) create individual realities for every person. Occasionally the content gets a little technical, but the overall tone is conversational and includes numerous relatable examples: tired pedestrians perceive distances much differently than physically fit athletes do; patients who have received numbing Botox injections take longer to read sentences that require sad or angry (brow-furrowing) reactions. Divided into three sections—"Doing," "Knowing," and "Belonging"—the book covers a lot of territory but keeps circling back to its basic premise: we do not perceive the world as it really is, but as we see it—and we all see it differently. The book ends with a warning about artificial intelligence and a reminder that we need our personal perceptions to create viable realities. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

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