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The Case Against Reality
How Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes
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Check link for latest rating. ( 3,646 ratings, 489 reviews)
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The Case Against Reality
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
Imagine a world where what we perceive is not the ultimate truth, but rather a carefully crafted illusion designed to assist our survival. In The Case Against Reality, cognitive scientist Donald D. Hoffman embarks on an electrifying exploration of human perception, challenging the very foundation of how we experience and understand reality. Delving into deep questions, Hoffman reveals that our visual perceptions are not transparent windows to the world but sophisticated interfaces fashioned by millions of years of evolution.
Hoffman presents a bold argument: natural selection has shaped our minds not to see the truth, but to ease our navigation through life. Our everyday encounters with objects and our environment are akin to interacting with user-friendly desktop icons, hiding the intricate and complex underlying reality. He asserts that these simplified cognitive shortcuts have throughout history enabled our species to thrive, yet they also make us vulnerable to modern manipulations, such as those found in advertising and design.
Drawing on three decades of his own pioneering research, Hoffman bridges a captivating range of disciplines, including evolutionary biology, game theory, neuroscience, and philosophy. His compelling synthesis not only questions our intrinsic assumptions but also proposes a radical rethinking of reality itself. Hoffman vividly illustrates how the realities we take for granted are mere constructs — beneficial illusions that keep us surviving but deceive us about the universe's true nature.
The Case Against Reality is an intellectually invigorating journey that will leave readers questioning everyday experiences, sparking curiosity about the hidden layers of existence. Hoffman's persuasive narrative is not just theoretically stimulating but also conveys profound implications for how we understand cognition, consciousness, and the fabric of the cosmos.
Be it for enthusiasts of cognitive science or those curious about the depths of human experience, Hoffman's thought-provoking work promises to transform how we perceive our world, shedding light on the unseen mechanisms that invisibly shape our lives.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Case Against Reality by Donald D. Hoffman is widely regarded as thought-provoking, stretching the boundaries of cognitive science, philosophy, and our understanding of reality. Reviewers praise Hoffman's original thinking, intellectual rigor, and genial writing style. His work challenges fundamental assumptions, suggesting that reality is not as we perceive it, and offers a fresh perspective that has captivated and changed readers' views on the nature of existence.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780141983417
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 20 August 2020
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 214g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Donald D. Hoffman is Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of Visual Intelligence (Norton, 1998), as well as over one hundred scholarly articles on various aspects of human perception and cognition. He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research into visual perception; the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation; and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences. His 2015 TED Talk 'Do we see reality as it is?' has had over 2.9 million views.
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