Book Review: Sleights of Mind

I really enjoyed this book. A couple years back I read a couple books on performing magic as I thought there were some interesting bits that could apply to giving presentations, product demos and the like.

Sleights of Mind does reveal some secrets about how certain magic tricks are performed, but it's written by two neuroscientists who spent years researching magic (collaborating with magicians) to determine how and why we are susceptible to certain illusions and deceptions.

I not only learned a lot, but it's given me a lot to think about in terms of the future of graphics, user interfaces, gaming and more. Fascinating stuff!

Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions

Book Review: Technopriests Vol 1

Picked this up on a friend's recommendation. Was ok, but I didn't really care for it enough to carry on to other volumes. Basic theme: Game Designers rule the universe, creating the ultimate tools that entertain and educate. The lead character aspires to become a member of the guild of techno-priests that design the ultimate games.

Neat them, but not that clever in how it's pulled off, and too much "Heavy Metal-esque" content (gratuitous rape, violence, etc).

The Technopriests Book One: Initiation (Technopriests (DC Comics))