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238th out of 714 books
—
726 voters
The Man Who Tasted Shapes
by
Richard E. Cytowic (Goodreads Author),
Jonathan Cole
In 1980, Richard Cytowic was having dinner at a friend's house, when his host exclaimed, "Oh, dear, there aren't enough points on the chicken." With that casual comment began Cytowic's journey into the condition known as synesthesia.
The ten people in one million who are synesthetes are born into a world where one sensation (such as sound) conjures up one or more others (su...more
The ten people in one million who are synesthetes are born into a world where one sensation (such as sound) conjures up one or more others (su...more
Paperback, 296 pages
Published
August 11th 2003
by Bradford Book
(first published 1993)
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Dec 03, 2007
Linda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who hear colors
this book changed my self-perception...until i read it i had no idea that there was a name for the condition (gift, oddity...) i have wherein i hear colors and why i always questioned how the makers of certain items (like toys when i was little) could color them - let's say green - when the word sounded so obviously blue!
Or why a siren in the distance was painfully red and the locomotive down the line had such a soothing, velvety feel to it.
Anyway - good read for curious minds who want to know...more
Or why a siren in the distance was painfully red and the locomotive down the line had such a soothing, velvety feel to it.
Anyway - good read for curious minds who want to know...more
Synesthesia is a fascinating condition wherein the senses are seemingly confused. You can hear colors and see sounds and all kinds of odd combinations of smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch. I have to say, I'm a little jealous of people with this condition. It's not something I can relate to at all but it sounds kind of amazing.
If you're at all interested in this condition by all means read this book. Just keep in mind a few things. While there are moments when Cytowic clearly want to be a wr...more
If you're at all interested in this condition by all means read this book. Just keep in mind a few things. While there are moments when Cytowic clearly want to be a wr...more
Sep 12, 2012
Kenny
added it
This particular book (not the subject matter) could have only been written by this author, his experience. Not exceptionally well-written, but so far, a good, interesting introduction to the phenomenon. (he's no Oli Sacks) I'm still reading, but will look for other authors. I once read an insightful (no pun intended) book written by autistic author Donna Williams called Nobody Nowhere. Perhaps there is a doctorial synesthete among us?
What appealed to me in this book:
* The Introduction
* The essays at the end, about the nature of consciousness, the emotion/rationality balance of the human mind, gnostic knowledge, direct experience, and how the medical field now puts too much faith in the output of machine-driven tests, and not enough in patients' direct experience
What didn't appeal to me as much:
* The weirdly rapid manner in which Cytowic gave a not-exactly-exhaustive overview of his career studying synesthesia
* The lack of bu...more
* The Introduction
* The essays at the end, about the nature of consciousness, the emotion/rationality balance of the human mind, gnostic knowledge, direct experience, and how the medical field now puts too much faith in the output of machine-driven tests, and not enough in patients' direct experience
What didn't appeal to me as much:
* The weirdly rapid manner in which Cytowic gave a not-exactly-exhaustive overview of his career studying synesthesia
* The lack of bu...more
Nov 01, 2007
Holly Mays
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
someone who wants to learn about synesthesia
The = tastes like dry chicken
Man = tastes like chipped beef gravy on toast
Who = tastes like turkey
Tasted = orange kool aid
Shapes = swiss cheese
It's somewhat dry, but gives you decent insight on a little thing I have called "synesthesia."
Man = tastes like chipped beef gravy on toast
Who = tastes like turkey
Tasted = orange kool aid
Shapes = swiss cheese
It's somewhat dry, but gives you decent insight on a little thing I have called "synesthesia."
This book is about synesthesia, a condition where certain people link senses together in an unexpected way. For example, one of the two main cases in this book tastes shapes, the other has colored hearing. This book is part textbook, part autobiography, and part editorial. It is divided into two sections. The first, larger section concentrates on synesthesia itself and Cytowic's interest in it, and the second part is a series of essays on the importance of emotion over reason.
Cytowic alternates...more
Cytowic alternates...more
The first book I read about synesthesia, and where I learned how insanely awesome it is!
This is rather out of date, which is a pity, because it's fascinating. I'd like to know more about where neurology, psychiatry and psychology are with regards to synesthesia at the moment. I've always found synesthesia fascinating (and last night I had a dream where I experienced it) and have always been sad that I don't experience it - it must be such an interesting way of seeing the world. I think this is a very good introduction to synesthesia, not least because of the historical review of th...more
Half interesting, half very dry and occasionally boring. Richard Cytowic is obviously very interested in synaesthesia - what causes it, how it is manifested in different people, whether or not you can track it by scanning the brain etc. - but his book isn't really meant for non-medical readers. I was fascinated by the experiments and the discoveries, but there was a LOT of medical babble that I had no interest in at all, and ended up just skimming.
A non-fiction that reads too much like a textbo...more
A non-fiction that reads too much like a textbo...more
I saw this book on the shelf and picked it up on impulse. I'm so glad I did, because it describes a rare condition that I had just thought was some strange thing I had. Every once in awhile I would tell other people about it and they would just shook their heads in disbelief. Synesthesia is a fascinating subject (even without psychedelic drugs). This should be an enjoyable read for anyone.
Nov 18, 2008
Maryka
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Maryka by:
Google
Shelves:
nonfiction
I don't have synesthesia, but was drawn to read about it because it made sense to me. As an artist, I often relate colors to certain words, and shapes to tastes or sensations. In my
case, this is a conscious conceptual choice. For people with synesthesia, it's inescapable
reality. A cross-connection in the five senses causes them to see or taste a song, feel the shape of a flavor, hear the sound of a table.
I'm fascinated by this multi-dimensional sense perception and wish I had it for real -
thoug...more
case, this is a conscious conceptual choice. For people with synesthesia, it's inescapable
reality. A cross-connection in the five senses causes them to see or taste a song, feel the shape of a flavor, hear the sound of a table.
I'm fascinated by this multi-dimensional sense perception and wish I had it for real -
thoug...more
It took me what felt like forever to read this book, even though it isn't very long. There were some really interesting anecdotal parts about the main synesthetic subject of the book. The author also makes clear his disappointment with the medical industry/machine which was interesting to me but there were parts of it that just moved really slowly.
I have to admit, this is not the type of book I would normally be drawn to. 'The Man Who Tasted Shapes' is a good title - because if I had seen this book on a shelf with the title 'Synaesthesia: An Introduction,' or 'Understanding Synaesthesia,' I would probably have lightly fingered the book and then my dainty little fingers would've found something else to finger.
But...it was a really interesting book, an introduction to a condition that I didn't even know existed. I can't admit to understand...more
But...it was a really interesting book, an introduction to a condition that I didn't even know existed. I can't admit to understand...more
This non-fiction book delves mostly into the condition known as synesthesia where two senses are intertwined. Someone who has this fascinating condition may see colors when music is played or have smell and sight combined. The book gets its title from the fact that the author had been invited to someone's home for dinner. When the host went to check on the chicken, he came back and said it wasn't done because there were not enough points on the chicken. He could literally "see" when the meal was...more
I am an artist and I am jealous and fascinated with the additional perceptions people who experience synesthesia. Came away wanting to know more. Eln
Jul 29, 2011
Michael Kerwin
added it
Other than the "dialogues" which come across as stiff and unnatural, the science is absolutely fascinating
It's a 4 star book but it goes off in another direction at the end without really finishing the story.
As a synesthete myself, I was amazed at the research this book contains. It's really illuminating.
I had to do a project for school on synesthesia and this book was really interesting to read.
I started off good, then I got lost in the terms and brain things. I feel that I was just not of the intellectual caliber to fully understand this book. But I did find it interesting. Just not an easy read, at all.
fantastic non-fiction that describes the neurological disorder synasthesia, remarkably undocumented until 1980, by the author. through a personal account of his studies and research of historical occurrences of synasthesia, you can learn how this remarkable disorder has such poetic symptoms. also contains the philosophical and artistic implications of the disorder. chomsky needed no machine to create his "green ideas", a synasthete could've done so on a regular basis, "this chicken doesn't have...more
i don't remember being particularly impressed with the writing, it was kinda dry and dense. but i'm so head-over-heels fascinated with the subject matter--synesthesia. it's about, for lack of a better in-depth explanation, people who experience joined senses. like this guy feels shapes when he tastes, some people see color or shapes when they hear sounds, that sorta thing. super interesting.
I personally thought that this was a interesting and fun read.
Dec 14, 2008
Rickeclectic
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone, cognitive psychology folks
Shelves:
psychology
Very interesting book about synesthesia (the mixing of sense, like tasting shapes or sensing numbers as having colors). Though it is not as well written, folks who like Oliver Sacks books will find this interesting. Synesthesia is a true phenomenon though relatively rare and this book if a non-fiction book about a variety of interesting synesthetes.
So far very interesting narrative by a neurologist about his study of synesthesia with philosophical underpinnings about the current American cultural trends with regards to machine versus patient interview medical testing and theories specifically in the field of neurology/neuropsychology, but possibly in the general field of modern medicine.
Cytowic spends way too much time talking about himself (the hero who dares to study synesthesia) and his convinction that "people" think medicine and science are all about machines. And he goes on about this... Synesthesia was what I was interested in, and there's not enough of it in this book.
"If you want to learn new things, you should try reading new books."
Interesting book, but I didn't finish it (I got to page 60). I would have liked it better if it had focused more on people with synesthesia, and maybe the book did, but I just didn't get to that part.
Interesting book, but I didn't finish it (I got to page 60). I would have liked it better if it had focused more on people with synesthesia, and maybe the book did, but I just didn't get to that part.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! I learned so much, and its great if you are really smart and want to learn more about synesthesia
a totally fascinating subject- i read this many years ago; i must re-read to give it a review.
loved it. fascinating because i love neuroscience and what is cooler then synestheasea?
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Richard E. Cytowic, MD, MFA is a neurologist best know for bringing synesthesia back into the scientific mainstream in 1980. The trait of crossed senses is now seen as important to understanding how brains perceive.
Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia (with David Eagleman) won the 2011 Montaigne Medal.
Cytowic also writes non-fiction and fiction, and received his MFA in cr...more
More about Richard E. Cytowic...
Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia (with David Eagleman) won the 2011 Montaigne Medal.
Cytowic also writes non-fiction and fiction, and received his MFA in cr...more
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Jul 13, 2008 03:42pm