REVIEW: Dark and Magical Places by Christopher Kemp

An illuminating examination of how the brain helps us to understand and navigate space—and why, sometimes, it doesn’t work the way it should.

Navigation is one of the most complex tasks our brains perform. And we do it countless times a day—as we drive across town to the airport, or traverse the maze of a supermarket, or walk within our own homes. But why is it that some people are lost on their own street and others can seamlessly navigate a new city after visiting it once?

Fueled by his own ...