{"title":"Susan Barry","description":"\u003cp\u003eSusan Barry is an acclaimed author known for her insightful contributions to the Biography \u0026amp; Memoir genre. Barry dives deep into the intricacies of human perception and experience, offering readers a unique perspective on how we engage with the world around us. Her works are not just books; they are explorations of the senses, mind, and vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eComing to Our Senses\u003c\/em\u003e, Barry invites readers on a personal journey through her own experiences and scientific revelations. As a neurobiologist, she draws on her extensive knowledge of the brain and perception, crafting a narrative that is as educational as it is inspiring. This memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the endless potential for growth and understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBarry’s writings provide a thoughtful combination of scientific insight and personal anecdote, making her books a truly enriching experience for those who wish to explore the depths of human cognition and sensory perception. Her narratives not only educate but also inspire readers to see the world through a new lens, appreciating the extraordinary complexity of ordinary experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore Susan Barry's works to delve into a world where science meets personal discovery, offering a rich tapestry of stories that illuminate the wonders of the human mind and senses.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"coming-to-our-senses-by-susan-barry-9781541675155","title":"Coming to Our Senses","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoctors have been able to cure some forms of congenital blindness and deafness for decades. But this has created another problem: most people end up hating their new senses. To ask someone to adapt to a new sense is to ask them to reshape their entire world. Many simply cannot. Every waking minute, they are bombarded by meaningless sights or sounds. Some sink into a depression so great that they lose their will to live and die.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSo then what to do with the cases of Liam McCoy and Zora Damji? Liam was born blind and Zora was born deaf. Both received surgeries to restore their senses as teenagers. Today, both lead healthy, independent lives. The question at the heart of \u003ci\u003eComing to Our Senses\u003c\/i\u003e is: why?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe answer reveals a common misunderstanding of how perception works. We tend to think of perception as a purely mechanical process, as a camera or microphone in the brain, recording the world objectively. But neurobiologist Susan Barry argues that your senses are completely your own. What you hear or see is influenced by your environment, history, age, relationships, preferences, fears, and needs. Your senses are so intimately connected to your experiences that they actually shape your personality. And as you grow, your senses grow with you, much further into adulthood than doctors once thought. The way you sense the world is part of what makes you, you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePeople like Liam and Zora provide a clear view of how our sensory abilities intertwine with our personality, and Barry spent a decade with them, watching their process. Barry finds the environmental sources of Liam's exquisite sense of direction, as well as his inability to learn to recognise even his own mother's face. She considers how Zora's world expands upon learning that sound allows you to observe things you can't see, and how the voice of Zora's Aunt Najma influenced the kinds of voices Zora can understand best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUltimately, Liam and Zora adapted to their new senses because their individual circumstances allowed them to do so, and in ways that reflect those circumstances. But there is no single answer to why some people adapt to their new senses while others do not, or for that matter, why two normally sighted people can see the same thing in two different ways — the answer depends upon the whole history and tenor of a person's life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eComing to Our Senses\u003c\/i\u003e tells its stories with grace, empathy, and genuine curiosity. It is a testament to the power of resilience, and a moving account of how, regardless of how we're born, we must each find our own way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46801323917548,"sku":"9781541675155","price":70.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24830113482736.jpg?v=1757325164"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/susan-barry.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}