PublishedHistory Press, November 2019 |
ISBN9780750987035 |
FormatHardcover |
Dimensions23.4cm × 15.6cm |
Why do we see the world the way we do? An unusual history of sight across 500 million years. From the mastery of fire a million years ago, humans repeatedly invented new ways to see their surroundings, each other and themselves. Artificial light, early art, mirrors, writing, lenses, printing, photography, film, television, smartphones.
These tools didn't just add to our visual repertoire, they shaped Western culture and made us who we are. As Far As the Eye Can See traces the history of seeing using eleven inventions, from the first evolutionary stirrings of sight to the present. It reveals that with each new invention that changed how or what we see, we changed ourselves, and the world around us. Visual technologies propelled the human journey from walking apes to masters of nature to self-obsessed screen junkies. And with each revolution in seeing, sight slowly eclipsed our other senses. Having come this far, Denham asks, are we now at peak seeing? Can our eyes keep up with technology's relentless march? Have we gone as far as the eye can see? AUTHOR: As head of the BBC's TV strategy unit, Susan Denham spent many years studying the relationship between television viewers, content, and technology. She noticed that new technologies often have surprising effects on how people behave. Prior to joining the BBC, Susan developed TV channels for a Hollywood movie studio. Susan has a first class degree in Economics and Law from Sydney University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 32 b/w illustrations
