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As Far as the Eye Can See: A History of Seeing
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, the smart phone. These tools shaped Western culture and made us who we are. As Far As the Eye Can See traces the history of seeing from the first evolutionary stirrings of sight to the present. It reveals that each time we invented technologies 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. Having come this far, the author asks, are we now at peak seeing? Can our eyes—and the rest of us—keep up with technology’s relentless march? Have we gone as far as the eye can see? Told in five parts, Becoming, Transforming, Observing, Showing and Curating, this book shows how each revolution in seeing has determined who we have become—and how we might change in the future.
- GenresHistoryScienceNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2019
29 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 4, 2020
What a delicious cocktail of facts, anecdotes, ideas and inventions, served up in a beautiful easy-to-read style. Every page of As Far As The Eye Can See delivers intimate details of the history of seeing and its impact on human development and behaviour. It's immaculately researched, enjoyable to read, and by turns informative, delightful, insightful and disturbing (particularly when it deals with the impact of social media...sorry, spoiler alert).
I highly recommend As Far As The Eye Can See – you will learn plenty, laugh a little, and understand why we are the way we are just a little better.
I highly recommend As Far As The Eye Can See – you will learn plenty, laugh a little, and understand why we are the way we are just a little better.
December 29, 2020
Thought provoking and engaging book
This book reflects the entire human history and history of life on our planet through the perspective of evolution of an eye - biological, psychological, behavioural and social aspects and consequences of seeing. Although the book recites already well-known historical facts and events, I have discovered information and knowledge entirely new to me and some interpretations of the historic events that made me think deeply about my senses and life around me. Highly recommended.
This book reflects the entire human history and history of life on our planet through the perspective of evolution of an eye - biological, psychological, behavioural and social aspects and consequences of seeing. Although the book recites already well-known historical facts and events, I have discovered information and knowledge entirely new to me and some interpretations of the historic events that made me think deeply about my senses and life around me. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2024
was expecting to learn about glasses and microscopes but it just changed the way i look at the world forever. susan if you're reading this i'm begging you to write another book
December 9, 2019
I loved this book! It is written in a light and breezy style, yet it covers a vast amount of academic research (the footnotes and bibliography are enormous). It is full of facts and ideas that had never occurred to me, but which made perfect sense once I read them. Some truly original insights for me in here, such as that the invention of mirrors coincided with the emergence of a greater sense of 'self' in ancient Anatolia, and that it was gaslight - not the steam engine - that really fired up the Industrial revolution. If you like those 'smart thinking' books like Sapiens and Outliers you will like this.
October 6, 2019
I loved this book: interesting, contemporary and important subject written in a way that is so entertaining to read. Highly recommend!
December 21, 2022
Covering topics as diverse as pencils, mirrors, spectacles, printing presses, telescopes and iphones, this is relatively random overview of 11 inventions to do with sight. There are obvious omissions. The microscope doesn’t feature. But the book doesn’t aim to be a comprehensive history of sight, it is just an overview of 11 aspects.
Having said that, it aims to be culturally balanced, telling us for example about developments in Europe in the year 800, and then jumping to Baghdad to explain what was happening there. Perhaps there could have been more coverage of China and India, but the overall point is conveyed that developments in sight are human, rather than specific to cultures.
Some of the interesting observations are very culturally specific. Western and Asian eyes focus differently on pictures, possibly due to Western individualism and Asian collectivism (p16). The insight that the first mirrors appeared around 6000BC is interested, especially when it is linked to the increasing individualisation evident in its cultural settings. When society transitioned to more sophisticated glass mirrors (around 1300 Venice) that is once again associated with a rise of individualism, as can be seen in a parallel development in portraiture.
The development of Spectacles around 1275 is explained and illustrated with textual references. Although it is not until the painting of Cardinal Hugh of St Cher in 1352 that we first see what passed for medieval spectacles.
The story of the transition of typefaces is interesting, especially the reference to the Nazi contribution. Whilst the rest of Europe favoured Roman typefaces, Germany traditionally preferred the Fraktur Gothic script. But the Nazis turned against it. Citing it as being too Jewish, they issued orders (in Fraktur font) requiring everyone to change to a Roman typeface.
The book is full of interesting little anecdotes and historical references. And they range over the full breadth of human history, from speculations about the development of sight itself, and the use of fire, to electricity and how modern sleeping patterns have changed from what was the norm in pre-industrial times.
Overall this is an easy and enjoyable read, achieving a good balance between technical detail and readability pace.
Having said that, it aims to be culturally balanced, telling us for example about developments in Europe in the year 800, and then jumping to Baghdad to explain what was happening there. Perhaps there could have been more coverage of China and India, but the overall point is conveyed that developments in sight are human, rather than specific to cultures.
Some of the interesting observations are very culturally specific. Western and Asian eyes focus differently on pictures, possibly due to Western individualism and Asian collectivism (p16). The insight that the first mirrors appeared around 6000BC is interested, especially when it is linked to the increasing individualisation evident in its cultural settings. When society transitioned to more sophisticated glass mirrors (around 1300 Venice) that is once again associated with a rise of individualism, as can be seen in a parallel development in portraiture.
The development of Spectacles around 1275 is explained and illustrated with textual references. Although it is not until the painting of Cardinal Hugh of St Cher in 1352 that we first see what passed for medieval spectacles.
The story of the transition of typefaces is interesting, especially the reference to the Nazi contribution. Whilst the rest of Europe favoured Roman typefaces, Germany traditionally preferred the Fraktur Gothic script. But the Nazis turned against it. Citing it as being too Jewish, they issued orders (in Fraktur font) requiring everyone to change to a Roman typeface.
The book is full of interesting little anecdotes and historical references. And they range over the full breadth of human history, from speculations about the development of sight itself, and the use of fire, to electricity and how modern sleeping patterns have changed from what was the norm in pre-industrial times.
Overall this is an easy and enjoyable read, achieving a good balance between technical detail and readability pace.
March 5, 2021
Have we gone as far as the eye can see? This book looks at how our capacity for seeing has increased over the course of human history, through three technological streams: optical technologies (the eye itself, along with lenses, mirrors, the microscope/telescope, and the camera and motion pictures); lengthening the day (fire and artificial lighting technologies), and communicating visual information (painting, writing and the alphabet, and the printing press).
For each of these, Denham Wade discusses not only the history of the technology itself, but the cultural changes each brought to humanity. With each innovation, seeing became a little bit more important, and other senses have been reduced to supporting roles. The cumulative impact is that sight has achieved a dominance among our senses that differs substantially from our hominid ancestors. Every change has redefined what it means to be human. Many of these changes have been for the better, but there is likely value today from finding some balance and rediscovering our other senses.
This is a remarkable read, with an incredible amount of interesting information for a relatively brief book, and a strong theme connecting it together. Extremely highly recommended.
For each of these, Denham Wade discusses not only the history of the technology itself, but the cultural changes each brought to humanity. With each innovation, seeing became a little bit more important, and other senses have been reduced to supporting roles. The cumulative impact is that sight has achieved a dominance among our senses that differs substantially from our hominid ancestors. Every change has redefined what it means to be human. Many of these changes have been for the better, but there is likely value today from finding some balance and rediscovering our other senses.
This is a remarkable read, with an incredible amount of interesting information for a relatively brief book, and a strong theme connecting it together. Extremely highly recommended.
May 21, 2022
Though a bit long for my tastes and time, nevertheless it’s an interesting and at times fascinating read, mostly in the earlier histories: the prehistoric cave paintings, literacy and through to the inventions of lenses and photography. There’d plenty of research as is evident from the appendix though it’s far from a heavy read; probably trivial in parts exploring current trends in smartphones use and social media.
One thing I really appreciated with the ebook edition is this is probably the closest to what a great ebook resource can be. Plenty of hyperlinks which work both ways to reference notes and back to the main text. The images, curiously amassed regardless of specific chapter of invention and left to the closing part of the book, are really well produced and described; it did serve as a reminder to earlier chapters though.
I’d really recommend this cor readers interested in the history of human cultural development and thought through inventions, from simple visual art to complex electronics.
One thing I really appreciated with the ebook edition is this is probably the closest to what a great ebook resource can be. Plenty of hyperlinks which work both ways to reference notes and back to the main text. The images, curiously amassed regardless of specific chapter of invention and left to the closing part of the book, are really well produced and described; it did serve as a reminder to earlier chapters though.
I’d really recommend this cor readers interested in the history of human cultural development and thought through inventions, from simple visual art to complex electronics.
July 5, 2025
I thought this book would give more history on actual seeing, on optics, or the tools of optometry. But it's about how seeing changed our world and culture.
The best parts for me were:
-the 2015 anecdote in the prologue about the Twitter war and how different people saw a photo of a dress as white and gold or black and blue.
-the history of optics and how Alhazan, Leonardo da Vinci saw optics in reference to the camera obscura. And then how Kepler saw the cornea and retina accurately.
-chapter 8 on the history of spectacles and how they were convex until 1450 when concave lenses were made for myopic eyes.
Well-written and easy-to-read. Just not what I was hoping to read.
The best parts for me were:
-the 2015 anecdote in the prologue about the Twitter war and how different people saw a photo of a dress as white and gold or black and blue.
-the history of optics and how Alhazan, Leonardo da Vinci saw optics in reference to the camera obscura. And then how Kepler saw the cornea and retina accurately.
-chapter 8 on the history of spectacles and how they were convex until 1450 when concave lenses were made for myopic eyes.
Well-written and easy-to-read. Just not what I was hoping to read.
January 19, 2025
A good read regarding the history through the lens of our vision.
This book talks about the invention and discovery of things that extended our vision from photography to phone, from mirror to telescope and from fire to light bulb.
The view of seeing yourself through mirrors and seeing alien worlds through the telescope is also very well articulated.
This book talks about the invention and discovery of things that extended our vision from photography to phone, from mirror to telescope and from fire to light bulb.
The view of seeing yourself through mirrors and seeing alien worlds through the telescope is also very well articulated.
November 5, 2022
A fascinating insight into history and the role that vision, and written language have played, and how it has helped shape and developed us as a human civilization. From the early days of writing record on clay tablets to photography, the cinema, optics and the smartphones of today.
August 20, 2021
Very interesting and entertaining. Loved it.
May 20, 2023
Not very interesting
Far too much detail which goes into the weeds and is not inspiring in content. Good for bedtime reading as it encourages sleepiness.
Far too much detail which goes into the weeds and is not inspiring in content. Good for bedtime reading as it encourages sleepiness.
April 9, 2025
普及級大眾科普讀物，基本以作者的個人觀點出發。橫跨度相當之長，正如原版標題所說，一本“在11種媒介裡的視覺史”書籍。
作為科普入門讀物很不錯，但有許多地方太過依賴於作者個人主觀觀點。最後的兩個章節更是基本完全脫離視覺歷史，在討論網絡社交與新冠疫情，比較泛泛。其他內容也只是淺嘗輒止，但對於該量級的書而言屬實正常。
作為科普入門讀物很不錯，但有許多地方太過依賴於作者個人主觀觀點。最後的兩個章節更是基本完全脫離視覺歷史，在討論網絡社交與新冠疫情，比較泛泛。其他內容也只是淺嘗輒止，但對於該量級的書而言屬實正常。
October 6, 2019
A simple read that makes you feel smart.
The author has done an incredible amount of research before creating a narrative that is fascinating. She explores sight from an anatomical, historical, and social perspective throughout the ages. She ends with a question about how our current seemingly endless concern about how we look and how others may see us might change us forever.
The author has done an incredible amount of research before creating a narrative that is fascinating. She explores sight from an anatomical, historical, and social perspective throughout the ages. She ends with a question about how our current seemingly endless concern about how we look and how others may see us might change us forever.
September 29, 2019
Can’t wait to read this book!! Sounds fascinating beyond my imagination and a unique perspective on humans, history, technology and evolution. Hurry up Mr Postman!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews