Our Senses

“An animated introduction to the neuroscience of sensory perception with broad appeal to artists, musicians, and other consumers and generators of brainpower.”—Kirkus Reviews

“DeSalle’s enthusiasm blossoms when he discusses cross-modal sensory responses and the ‘kluge’ of competing elements that make up the human brain.”—Publishers Weekly

In twenty chapters with beautiful illustrations and diagrams (DeSalle) maps out how our bodies see, hear, taste, smell and touch—and the genomics behind their evolution in the many common ancestors who came before us.”—Forbes.com

“An unusual, illuminating, and often entertaining look at the brain.”—Library Journal

“Wonderfully broad-ranging summary of the wide range of sensory systems that exist, and more importantly, how those systems interact in order to give rise to the multisensory experiences that fill our mental lives.”—Charles Spence, author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating

“Rob DeSalle’s infectious enthusiasm and vast store of knowledge combine to make this book special, describing on a broad canvas each sense and the many different and fascinating facets of life to which they relate.”—Gordon M. Shepherd, author of Neurogastronomy: How the Brain Creates Flavor and Why It Matters

“In the laboratory sensory science is serious business. But in the capable hands of Rob DeSalle it becomes fun and compelling for the general reader, and is made all the more accessible by Patricia Wynne’s delightful illustrations.”—Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales from Human Evolution

“A spirited and engaging introduction to the fascinating world of the senses, from the illuminating perspective of a distinguished evolutionary biologist.”—John Carlson, Yale University