The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight

by Julian Rothenstein, Mel Gooding, Mel (Editors) Rothenstein, Julian & Gooding

Book Overview

Is it a crone or a lovely lady? A dapper man with a ascot or a toothless old geezer? Things are not always what they seem at first glance...or even at second or third. The Playful Eye is a virtual feast of games and visual tricks gathered from around the world. With a full-color puzzle or conundrum to tease the eye and intrigue the mind on every page, this generously sized volume goes far beyond other optical illusions books. There's no straining...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811826961
• ISBN13: 9780811826969
• Release Date: February 2000
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 9.4" x 12.2"

Customer Reviews

Get this book, if you love to play with optical illusions, & would like to enjoy further visual di

The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight by Julian Rothenstein If you love to play with optical illusions, & would like to enjoy further visual diversion off the beaten path, please get hold of this wonderful book & add it to your personal library. The Playful Eye is certainly a virtual feast of ingenious games & visual tricks gathered from around the world. The author has done an excellent job in putting this wonderful compendium together. Kudos!

Excellent resource for classic illusions

It is rare when you come across a book on optical illusions that has something new to offer, but this is what sets The Playful Eye apart from many of the other optical illusion books currently on the market.The Playful Eye is a wonderful collection of classic illusions that were printed on obscure puzzle cards, postcards, trading cards, advertisements, and the like during the late 19th to mid 20th century. The editors have done a remarkable job in collecting these illusions from obscure source material and private collections. What is even more remarkable, and in my mind, one of the best aspects of this charming collection, is the amount of research that they put in labeling the sources for each image. This is a real reference tool for an illusion collector like myself. The illustrations are wonderful and you are bound to see images that are not seen elsewhere. Lots and lots of fun!

a multi-layered visual treat

I love books that make you view things in ways that are unexpected--this book was a treat for my eyes and my brain. I enjoyed the compilation of vivid illustrations from various cultures and periods. I went through the book once to enjoy all of the wonderfully detailed illustrations, then I went back through the book again to tease my mind with the visual play in each one of those colorful pictures. This book is fun and can be enjoyed over and over again.