In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity

I read this book after seeing what other people were reading after reading Dr. Sally Shaywitz's book. The title leads me to believe I wouldn't get much from it, but I was very mistaken. I found myself underlining passages and writing notes in the margins. West details a very compelling argument. His theory is since it appears the people with literary disabilities have superior visual/spatial skills, these skills may often be mutually exclusive. Hence, people with superior literary skills often have poor visual/spatial skills. He postulates that since human society has only been post-literate for hundreds of years compared to pre-literate for thousand of years, people with better visual/spatial skills would have a survival advantage as better hunter/gatherers and avoid other dangers. People with superior literary skills in a pre-literate society would have poor survival skills although they would be needed as say shamans, storytellers or record-keepers. The theory makes sense evolutionarily as it seems to confirm Shaywitz's observation that 1 in 5 people have some reading disability. Which at the time seemed high to me. West goes on to argue that society has been selecting against people with poor literary skills and details the danger this can pose. He argues it appears that society is turning back to needing people with high visual/spatial skills with the advent of cheap highly graphic computers and other visual modes of information communication. West details several famous (Einstein, Churchill, and Edison) and not-so-famous people (Faraday, Tesla and Maxwell) with literary disabilities but superior visual/spatial skills and how their skills were important for their success. I feel that dyslexics, educators, and policy makers should read this book. West makes a very persuasive argument that society should not select for only one skill set because you never know what skills a future society may need. In an aside, the film Gattaca uses West's theory as a basis of the plot even mentioning how Einstein was dyslexic. If you find this book compelling, you will enjoy the film.

I am concerned about my grandson having dyslexia. I am told he is too young to test for it. I decided to buy this book. It is a good reference but it is pretty technical. That being said, it is informative when one may see some symptoms in one's child. I would not attempt to diagnose a child without professional testing.

ADD ADHD under achiever dyslexic dyscalculia innumeracy lazy won't do her homework won't listen in class tutors cannot teach herwas asked to leave summer high school algebra because she was holding back the class!Five years later she aced "modern math for elementary teachers"! WHY? "Because modern math was about mathematics, which human minds have described, whereas arithmetic they tried to inflict on you in grade school is what machines can do so much better!" to paraphrase the professor.After you have read about the great minds who could not succeed in school, you, too, will wonder why we are doing all this testing and lockstep education in our schools.

One of the best books for and on dyslexics! Great examples and good insights in how dyslexics process information. Every dyslexic should read this and review his own perception of dyslexia as a disorder. It is a big problem in our language oriented society, but also an opportunity to be an out-of-the-box-thinker and have your unique contribution to our fast changing society. Dyslexics have the future and this book tells why.

I kept checking this book out at the library, I decided to purchase my own copy and Amazon has the cheapest prices. If a parent/teacher/dyslexic wants to actually be encouraged by there 'learning style' this is a must read!

I cannot say enough about this book!!! I am so grateful for it's ability to communicate so positively about nonlinear talents!! I am also so happy to be introduced to Chaos Theory too!!! YAY for nonlinear!!!!!!!

A great book that detail the different ways people with visually oriented brains see the world. It also shows many of the advantages that come with that perspective.

I bought this book thinking it will give me great insights on alternative ways of thinking and working but it's just another popular propaganda without any real substance.The psychology in the book is nothing but folk theories.

as described

I have struggled to read this book. I am dyslexic myself and this might be why. For any Dyslexic interested in better understanding the subject I would recommend the Dyslexic Advantage which was alot more accessible.