Phenomena: Secrets of the Senses (review)

We may have a fairly clear perception of the world around us, but how do we know what we know? Jackson (author of The Bone Detectives, BCCB 4/96, and In Your Face, BCCB 10/04) tackles that question with chapters on topics ranging from earthquake prediction to a blind landscape painter to technology that restored a woman’s lost ability to balance. The first half, which covers paranormal-friendly topics such as ESP, animal senses, and intuition, is the weakest; the book seemingly wants both scientific cred and supernatural thrills, not only devoting a fair amount of time to telling spooky stories but also indifferently giving random opinions the same weight as scientific research while leaping around conceptually within the chapters. Things settle down in the second half to an intriguing showcase of anomalies that reveal fascinating possibilities for the way our brains work, with smooth and lively chapters on synesthesia, phantom pain, and literally mind-expanding technological enhancements that allow the blind to perceive items visually through the use of sound waves. Formatting is stodgy (dull stock photos are a standby) but browsable, with dramatic chapter subheadings, post-chapter “Mind Tingler” sidebars, and illustrations breaking up the pages. While audiences seeking pure paranormal pleasures or straight science may be frustrated with the hybrid approach, there’s ultimately a series of interesting and kid-friendly peeks into contemporary explorations of cognition and neurology. A list of titles (unannotated, so fiction isn’t differentiated from nonfiction) and websites for further exploration, a glossary, a list of sources, and an index are included.