David Lewis & Keelan Leyser - Unseen

Picking what to read next is always difficult as there is so much that seems interesting in the pursuit of understanding how things work. But after having discussed a work of fiction that is rather complicated on several levels and multiple iterations of attempting to reach consensus the final choice was basically a choice between further exploration of doom and gloom, or reading about the human mind. Although it is very important to arm ourselves with narratives that protect those we love from AI-driven exploitation and falling victim to conspiracy theories, it is also important to balance discipline with hedonism. So, when put like that, the latter option prevailed. We can pick one of the other books at a later date, or read them independently.

The picked book is written by a pair of applied neuropsychologists; David Lewis has been dubbed the ‘father of neuromarketing’, while Keelan Leyser is a magician, mentalist and quick change artist. We've been told that this work explores the hidden corners of the human mind where perception fails, from the everyday oversights to the deep-rooted cognitive biases that shape our worldview. It ought to also explore different types of blind spots; why they occur, how they can be used to manipulate our thoughts, and how they can be worked around or even avoided.

The full sales pitch from the publisher's web site goes as follows:
``The fascinating psychology of blindspots, their complex causes, and the alarming consequences of looking without seeing.
Can we believe our eyes? Most of us are confident that we can, but we shouldn't be so sure. Every day, we fail to see things that are right in front of us, miss sudden or unexpected changes and fall for illusions without realising it. The culprit? Blind spots. These hidden gaps in our perception are responsible for errors in operating machinery, diagnosing medical conditions, giving evidence in court and even influence how we invest our money or shop.
Unseen explores the hidden co