In the Blink of an Eye: A Cultural History of Spectacles

by Stefana Sabin, Nick Somers (Translation)

From monocles to pince-nez and goggle-eyes, a cultural and technological history of glasses in fact and fiction.
 
This book examines those who wore glasses through history, art, and literature, from the green emerald through which Emperor Nero watched gladiator fights to Benjamin Franklin’s homemade bifocals, and from Marilyn Monroe’s cat-eye glasses to the famed four-eyes of Emma Bovary and Harry Potter. Spectacles are objects that seem commonplace, but In the Blink of an Eye shows that because they fundamentally changed people’s lives, glasses were the wellspring of a quiet social, cultural, and economic revolution. Indeed, one can argue that modernity itself began with the paradigm shift that transformed poor eyesight from a severely limiting disease—treated with pomades and tinctures—into a minor impairment that can be remedied with mechanisms constructed from lenses and wire.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2021

Reviews

[Ghazal Askari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the point made in this book and how it traces the evolution of glasses through the ages up to the present day.

[Ardavan Bayat · Rating 3 out of 5]

پایان خوانش: 1404.06.20

فهرست:
1. از زمرد نرون تا عینک پرچی کاردینال هوگو
2. پیزا یا فلورانس
3. راهبه‌ها، روحانیون و دزدان
4. دیدن و فهمیدن
5. نقاشان، شاعران و کاراکترهایشان
6. جادوگران و ماموران مخفی
7. عینک از چشم برداشتن!
8. عینک بر چشم ماندن!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting short book about glasses.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad. I would have preferred more information on the scientific and engineering history and less on the cultural history. But the subtitle does say it is a cultural history so I guess I can't complain.

[Sara C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - A good, brief overview! I did not know about glasses' ties to the Jewish stereotype, and it's interesting to see that glasses' association with authority, intelligence, and unfuckability have persisted for the majority of their existence.

[Seyyed Ali Hejazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

مجموعه‌یِ «تاریخِ فرهنگی» نشر ماهی دست روی مفاهیمِ تاریخی و وسوسه‌انگیزی مثل تاریکی، عینک، صلح و زتشی گذاشته و با استفاده از منابعِ درست، نیمه‌جستارِ نسبتا خوبی درآورده که چاپ‌شدن و ترجمه‌شدنش اتفاقِ مبارکی‌ست.
ضعفِ این مجموعه؟ حجمِ کمِ کتاب و به واسطه همین کوتاهی، نپرداختنِ عمیق به این موضوعات عمیقه
حسنِ کتاب؟ا اگه به موضوع مطرح‌شده علاقه داشته باشی، منابع خوب و دست‌اولی رو باهاش آشنا می‌شی

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

super fast read. good trivia about the basic history of glasses.