How to Use Your Eyes

HOW TO USE YOUR EYES by James Elkin I am a strong believer in the power of observation. Learning to see, really see, is not as easy as we would like to believe. Observation simply meant to notice, perceive or watch attentively, as Webster's Dictionary suggests. Observation is more than looking, it is learning from looking. Why is it so important to be observant? I have come to realise that it is the vital key to optimum performance in science, in business, in sports & in other life pursuits, e.g. reading & writing, photography, etc. In reality, it's a critical survival skill! Thousand years ago, Leonardo da vinci had proven its significance in his varied field of expertise. He said, in order to attain a complete mind, one must learn how to use all our senses, especially learn how to see. Edward de bono, recognised as the world's authority on creativity, talked about it - perceptual sensitivity - first in his seminal work, Mechanism of Mind, in the late 60's & then in his many subsequent books on lateral thinking. Many consultants/authors have since then pursued & reinforced the same line of thought. Interestingly, to share with readers, I noted that the common denominator in the following important business words: vision, visionary, imagination, illumination, enlightenment, foresight, farsighted, perspective, viewpoint, spectacle, inspection; has a visual component: 'seeing'. Come to think about it, the word 'seer' even has 'see' in it! I have also learned that the word 'idea' has its origins from a Greek word, which means 'to see'. Even the word 'intuition' originates from a Latin word 'intueri' which also means 'to see'. So, how does one develop & enhance the power of observation? I have found one very good book on the subject. It's 'How to Use Your Eyes' by James Elkin, who shares many techniques & tips. His book is both visually stunning & mentally stimulating. It is more of a field guide as the reader needs to physically exercise the 'world experience' by himself rather than just sit back & enjoy the 'word experience'! In terms of my own 'world experience', my favorite chapters in the book have been: How to look at: - a postage stamp; - pavement; - engineering drawing (should have known this when I was an engineer); - mandalas (may be too esoteric for some readers!); - perspective pictures; - a map; - a face; - a fingerprint - with the aid of a magnifying glass, of course); - grass; - a twig; - sand; - sunset; - inside of your eye; - colours; - nothing (this one almost drove me bonkers!); Frankly, I did not realise that there are so many things to see from "universally unnoticed" objects around me. To share with readers, I would like to suggest another very good book, i.e. 'Playful Perceptions: Choosing How to Exerience Your World' by Herbert Leff. 'Everyday Wonders: Encountering with the Astonishing World Around Us' by Barry Evans is worth exploring, too.

I ran across this while browsing through the QP section in my college library (QP being physiology, which is a bit odd; it really should be under the T section). The general theme of the book is looking at objects or aspects of objects which people often overlook. It's an excellent book for anyone with techy/nerdy interests in general, amateur artists, and science and art history students. It might also be an unusual but very nice present for the kind of bright child who likes the Dorling Kindersley sort of books with lots of photos and explanations. They could browse through the pictures and then dig into the text as they get older. I know I'd have loved this when I was ten. The book deals with very specific cases such as perspective drawings, X-rays, and bridge engineering, but reading it is also a great reminder to literally look at the little things in life - there's an amazing amount of information and beauty to be found in small details.

How to Use Your Eyes by James Elkins invites us to look at -- and maybe to see for first time -- the world around us, with breathtaking results. Note, only a little of this book is about colors. Other chapters include things that everyone sees, but no one notices: cracks in pavement, culverts under highways, grass, sand. We appreciated sunsets much more after reading this book.

I love this book. I love the fussy little details. I took this book to school, and two eigth-graders were fighting over it. They were eager to show other students and me the gems they had found in it. Thanks to Marcia for giving it to me.

James Elkins has written a number of engaging books, and is an excellent example of a scholar who can be appreciated by the layman. His last book, "The Object Stares Back," was dark and provocative, an unsettling exploration of how we look at images. His new book is as uplifting as the previous was distressful. The book is divided into 2 sections, the first focused on man-made objects, the second to 'natural" phenomena. In part one, Elkins dissects such diverse things as cracks in old master paintings, or culverts, or special effects, and how to discover how they're made by simple observation. The section on nature includes some terrific information on sunsets, twigs, and the night sky. Never bossy or high-fallutin' in tone, Elkins conveys a sense of the wonder of vision, and the remarkable balance of simplicity and complexity in the world. There's an old quote about seeing the universe in a grain of sand; James Elkins can tell you how you, too, can look at sand and learn something about the universe in the process.