Unseen: Blind spots and why we miss what matters most
David Lewis
The first book to explain the psychology and neuroscience behind looking without seeing and seeing without looking, it describes how:
- Sights that should have received urgent attention are overlooked, and others are misinterpreted.
- Six different blindspots can occur, from failing to see what is there to seeing what is not there.
- Digital technology and AI are changing our lives forever. As society becomes ever more complex, blindspots increase exponentially, with consequences ranging from embarrassment to catastrophe.
- For psychological reasons, it is far easier to eliminate machine-made mistakes than human error.
- Individuals, companies, organisations, and governments increasingly recognise how blindspots play a crucial role in personal success, military operations, medicine, marketing, retailing and political campaigning.
This 65,000-word book is based on original research conducted by the first author’s laboratory in the Science Park at the University of Sussex, the second author’s practical experience as one of America’s most successful digital magicians, and over 500 peer-reviewed academic papers.
Filled with fascinating examples and practical suggestions, the book provides strategies by which readers can avoid mistakes due to blindspots and safeguard themselves against their exploitation by others.
Book Details:
- Author: David Lewis
- Published Year: 2026
-
Rights Sold
- UK: Bloomsbury
David Lewis
David Lewis abandoned medical studies to become a photojournalist. After training at the Regent Street School of Photography, he worked through a leading Fleet Street features agency, covering assignments in Belfast at the height of the Troubles, Berlin, Paris, New York, and the Middle East. His pictures appeared in major magazines such as Life, Paris Match and Stern.
Returning to the academic world, he earned a First-Class Honours degree in the Life Sciences from the University of Westminster and a D.Phil. from the University of Sussex, where he lectured in clinical psychology. He l...
More about David Lewis
Book Reviews
-
"
Lewis and Leyser show how subliminal priming influences the ways humans encounter the world, and provide commonsense strategies to avoid falling prey to such illusions and oversights. It's a riveting and relevant work of pop psychology. "
Publishers Weekly -
"The accessible text offers numerous incidents that will resonate with readers, whether considering research studies, evolving film and photography techniques, or sleight-of-hand maneuvers. An especially engaging feature is the inclusion of multiple QR codes that allow access to optical depictions illuminating the concepts... Informative and eye-opening. "
Booklist