Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Astonishing New Science of the Senses

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 19 ratings

Price: 13.78

Last update: 08-26-2024


About this item

The Next Big Idea Club, August 2023 Must-Read Book

In 2016, scientists proved that humans could see light at the level of a single photon. We are living in historic times when humans may look at the very fabric of the universe in a laboratory setting. Around the world, other recent discoveries about the senses are just as astounding. It turns out we can hear amplitudes smaller than an atom, smell a trillion scents, have a set of taste buds that can discern molecules of fresh water, and can feel through the sense of touch the difference of a single molecule.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made takes listeners through their own bodies, delving into the molecular and even the quantum, and tells the story of our magnificent sensorium and what it means for the next wave of human potential. From the laboratories to the ordinary homes where these breakthroughs are taking place, the book explores our current sensory Renaissance and shows listeners how they, themselves, can heighten their own senses and experience the miraculous.


Top reviews from the United States

Sherry Weddington
5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing breakthrough technology of the senses
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
Wow! I just received this book in the mail and I am only on page 11 and I can’t put it down! One of the most intriguing books I have ever read! Absolutely amazing! The author is Maureen Seaberg who has extraordinary sensory abilities with seeing colors. Thanks to so many of these amazing people with extraordinary sensory abilities such as smell scientists have been able to identify chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease by using a device known as a mass spectrometer that determines the chemical composition of the compounds that caused the odor being present on the skin of these people even years before they present with symptoms. This is a very well written book and a must read! ????
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Sherry Weddington
5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing breakthrough technology of the senses
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
Wow! I just received this book in the mail and I am only on page 11 and I can’t put it down! One of the most intriguing books I have ever read! Absolutely amazing! The author is Maureen Seaberg who has extraordinary sensory abilities with seeing colors. Thanks to so many of these amazing people with extraordinary sensory abilities such as smell scientists have been able to identify chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease by using a device known as a mass spectrometer that determines the chemical composition of the compounds that caused the odor being present on the skin of these people even years before they present with symptoms. This is a very well written book and a must read! ????
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Glenys
5.0 out of 5 stars So very interesting
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024
Highly recommend this book, learning the new things being learned about our senses. It’s so interesting.
kathleen g
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
A bit of a tough call because one must be open to what might be termed the woo-woo in addition to the science of the senses. Seaberg does a good job profiling those with super talents- such as a woman who could smell Parkinsons, a sommelier, and the always fascinating synesthesia. And then there are those who claim they can sense things on the other side of the world and so on. I wish she'd stuck to the legit rather than moved to the dubious but I appreciate her sincerity. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC,
Ken Saladin
2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing ramble in pop psych
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2023
I'm pretty disappointed in this book. I heard Maureen Seaberg interviewed on NPR, speaking on synesthesia, tetrachromacy, and some surprising recent discoveries on human sensory thresholds, such as single-photon sensitivity in vision. I ordered the book later in the day because I write updated book chapters in sensory physiology every two to three years. I thought I might learn something new, either for that purpose or for the public writing I do in debunking the popular belief that the human senses are weaker than those of other animals. However, I found the book to be a rambling, unfocused, repetitive and shallow stroll through pop psychology, a little bit of science (nothing much new) overshadowed by a heavy dose of woo-woo quasimysticism. A few of its references are solid, but it leans heavily toward interviews, anecdotes, and Psychology Today—which is pretty weak tea for a reader wanting sound science. I see little trace of careful scholarship in this writing. I regret the purchase and the wasted time reading it.
Luis A. Colonna
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What a book. I finally understand myself.
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
The author, Maureen Seaberg has opened a window into my soul. Everything she talked about in the book, I can relate to. I have synesthesia. I am a self-diagnosed tetrachromat. I just reached out to the author, and she immediately responded. I thanked her for sharing her experience, research, and wisdom with the world. Synesthesia is a real thing, now backed up by science! Thank you, Maureen Seaberg. This book is a MUST READ!
NM
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2023
A very fascinating, interesting, scientific book about our senses. It really makes you think about the deeper meaning of our senses and how we are in the world. Definitely a different take on our senses.
AndreaRomance
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and easy to read
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
We've been taught that our senses pale in comparison to those of other animals. As this book shows, that belief is nonsense. Humans can detect a trillion scents and perceive the light of a single photon. This fascinating, entertaining, and easy-to-read book relates the latest in the science of human sensory perception. Our ability to experience and enjoy the world is deeper than we imagine, if only we pay more attention.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Neil T
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2023
Maureen Seaberg deepens her explorations of the senses beyond the reach of even her previous books. Her usual lucid, often poetic prose. A delight to read.

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