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Sense : Unlock Your Senses And Improve Your Life
AS HEARD ON THE CHRIS EVANS SHOW How can colour prime you for creative thinking? What kind of music helps you run faster? Which scents can help you fall asleep? Our senses have a powerful effect on how we think, feel and behave; yet we don't use them to their full potential. For over a decade, multi-sensory marketing expert Russell Jones has been using the science of the senses to design products, brands and retail environments that tantalise our senses in revolutionary ways. In this incredible new book, Jones takes research from the worlds of neuroscience, experimental and behavioural psychology and beyond, and shows you how to live more multi-sensorially; paying attention to the sounds, scents, colours, objects, shapes and textures that constantly surround you, to profoundly impact and improve every aspect of your life. Whether it's helping you feel energised in the morning, get the most from your work-out, be efficient at the office, avoid getting caught in the traps of savvy retailers or creating the perfect sensory background to enjoy your food with. And, finally, he helps you have the most restful evening and night's sleep you possibly can. Sense is a fascinating and revelatory look at how you can use your senses in a way you never have before.
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Published October 15, 2020
36 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Russell Jones
104 books13 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 15, 2021
The Power of Your Senses is a fascinating guide to how your senses operate and how the slight recalibration of a product can completely change the strength and type of feelings or reactions the stimuli evoke from our range of sensory functions. Many day to day objects we encounter can be viewed in a multisensory manner which means considering everything, including visuals, that affects our perception of a given quality, through another sense. By that I mean, choosing the shape of a can to make a deodorant seem more refreshing. The colour of a bottle that makes a drink tastier. It can also mean an aroma in a shop that makes people feel more relaxed and happy to browse. It could be the tschhh! in an advert that makes a drink seem more appealing. Or the clunk of a car indicator that reinforces how solid and powerful the vehicle seems. In this sense, true multisensory design is fundamentally grounded in science. Mainly focusing on an area of study called ‘cross-modal neuroscience’.
This is the science of how the senses and emotions are connected, through ‘cross-modal associations’. High pitch pianos are associated with sweet tastes. Heavy weight is associated with thickness and quality. If a logo faces right the brand is seen as forward-thinking. Scientists have been mapping these associations for decades. From Holt-Hansen linking frequencies of sound to Carlsberg Elephant beer on university campuses in the ‘60s. To modern-day superstars in the field like Charles Spence, Barry Smith, Carlos Velasco. Who, along with a host of other scientists and research agencies, have been systematically mapping textures with sounds, colours with shapes. Shapes with emotions. Smells with behaviour. Broadening our knowledge of how our senses and emotions work together. An insightful, unique and intriguing exploration of our senses and the power they hold. Highly recommended.
This is the science of how the senses and emotions are connected, through ‘cross-modal associations’. High pitch pianos are associated with sweet tastes. Heavy weight is associated with thickness and quality. If a logo faces right the brand is seen as forward-thinking. Scientists have been mapping these associations for decades. From Holt-Hansen linking frequencies of sound to Carlsberg Elephant beer on university campuses in the ‘60s. To modern-day superstars in the field like Charles Spence, Barry Smith, Carlos Velasco. Who, along with a host of other scientists and research agencies, have been systematically mapping textures with sounds, colours with shapes. Shapes with emotions. Smells with behaviour. Broadening our knowledge of how our senses and emotions work together. An insightful, unique and intriguing exploration of our senses and the power they hold. Highly recommended.
June 29, 2021
What a fascinating journey into our senses and the effect that they have on our lives.
It gives insights into positive changes you can make to your day. The author comes across as very knowledgeable and it comes across well to the reader.
What I really liked was that at the end of each section there was a round up of the most salient points held within it. You can refer back to these if needed.
A very interesting read indeed.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
It gives insights into positive changes you can make to your day. The author comes across as very knowledgeable and it comes across well to the reader.
What I really liked was that at the end of each section there was a round up of the most salient points held within it. You can refer back to these if needed.
A very interesting read indeed.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
June 28, 2021
I think many will have experienced the power of your senses at some point during your life, the nostalgia a smell can induce, the exquisite taste of certain foods and the homely sight and sounds of your own home. And I knew a small amount about the power our senses can have but hadn’t really thought about it.
This book was absolutely brilliant and so SO interesting. There’s so much I didn’t know and perception, experiences and senses are so much more intertwined than I had thought.
The book is founded on a lot of scientific research and includes all sorts of interesting information and knowledge gleaned from science. (I mean, who knew food tastes 11% better with heavy cutlery and we buy more indulgent products when it’s cold?!) I suppose we can be influenced in so many ways by our senses and it was really amazing to read.
So many mindblown moments and the pages flew by. It was really well written and the words flowed effortlessly. It was a joy to read and learn from this book. I learnt loads! It was really accessible too, so you don’t need a degree in behavioural and sense science to understand it and is made for anyone who wants to understand more about the human body, mind and our own sense experience with the world.
The book starts with waking up from slumber and leads you on throughout the day to experience it the best way you possibly could. From a gentle and effective wake up to dressing up for the day ahead, most effective way to exercise, work, wind down from the day and eventually leading you to a good nights sleep.
There’s also a great little sum up at the end of each chapter, to go over the main points in the paragraphs and further drive home the implementable takeaways.
There’s so much great advice in this book, many of which can be easily adopted in your daily life to really benefit your days. This is certainly a book to have on your bookshelf, to read, return to and reference when you need.
I couldn’t recommend reading this enough. So I advise you go get a cup of tea, throw on your favourite fluffy slippers and curl up on the sofa with a nice comfy cushion and begin your journey into seeing the world in a whole new different light!
Thank you to the author and publishers via NetGalley for this book, in return for my honest thoughts and review.
This book was absolutely brilliant and so SO interesting. There’s so much I didn’t know and perception, experiences and senses are so much more intertwined than I had thought.
The book is founded on a lot of scientific research and includes all sorts of interesting information and knowledge gleaned from science. (I mean, who knew food tastes 11% better with heavy cutlery and we buy more indulgent products when it’s cold?!) I suppose we can be influenced in so many ways by our senses and it was really amazing to read.
So many mindblown moments and the pages flew by. It was really well written and the words flowed effortlessly. It was a joy to read and learn from this book. I learnt loads! It was really accessible too, so you don’t need a degree in behavioural and sense science to understand it and is made for anyone who wants to understand more about the human body, mind and our own sense experience with the world.
The book starts with waking up from slumber and leads you on throughout the day to experience it the best way you possibly could. From a gentle and effective wake up to dressing up for the day ahead, most effective way to exercise, work, wind down from the day and eventually leading you to a good nights sleep.
There’s also a great little sum up at the end of each chapter, to go over the main points in the paragraphs and further drive home the implementable takeaways.
There’s so much great advice in this book, many of which can be easily adopted in your daily life to really benefit your days. This is certainly a book to have on your bookshelf, to read, return to and reference when you need.
I couldn’t recommend reading this enough. So I advise you go get a cup of tea, throw on your favourite fluffy slippers and curl up on the sofa with a nice comfy cushion and begin your journey into seeing the world in a whole new different light!
Thank you to the author and publishers via NetGalley for this book, in return for my honest thoughts and review.
February 5, 2024
I was looking for a non-fiction book about a topic which wasn't too heavy, and this fit the bill. It was both an informative and accessible read.
I would personally have liked a bit more information about the background of the studies references in the book. You don't get a huge amount of detail about the science behind the facts, and I think "Power of your senses" could have shared more information without sacrificing accessibility.
I would personally have liked a bit more information about the background of the studies references in the book. You don't get a huge amount of detail about the science behind the facts, and I think "Power of your senses" could have shared more information without sacrificing accessibility.
March 10, 2023
Shockingly useful book. I made 2 pages of notes that I actually intend to use.
August 20, 2020
Does listening to fast or slow music alter your perception of time passing? Can drinking from a mug of a certain colour help your drink taste sweeter and/or aid creativity? What scents can help you drift into a peaceful sleep?
I found Sense to be an immersive, intriguing and insightful reading experience. This non-fiction book explores how we can unlock and effectively use our senses to improve various aspects of our life, including: waking up in the morning, exercise, work, shopping, sleep and so much more. Russell provides clear descriptions of fascinating and relevant research alongside real world examples to support his sensory tips and insights. I really enjoyed learning more about each of our senses, including those that often operate at a subconscious level (i.e. proprioception, kinesthesia, interoception etc.). I also really appreciated the discussion around synaesthesia (merging of the senses)- I’ve always found this an exciting and captivating topic and first came across the synaesthetic mind during my undergraduate Perception course. I’d have liked to learn a bit more about senses at the neural level with accompanying neuroscientific evidence, but appreciate this may not be appropriate for a general audience (neuro nerd over here!).
Can this book really improve your life? I was slightly sceptical at first, but now that I’ve started to apply some of the ‘sensory prescription’ tips outlined in the morning, work and sleep chapters, I have already noticed a slight difference! If you’re interested and open minded, I believe Sense could help you transform and enhance certain aspects of your life. My fave tip: listening to slow music in a minor key actually helps that last hour of the working day fly by!
I’d highly recommend this book if you’d like to learn more about your senses and how to best utilise them in your daily life. Thank you again to Welbeck publishing for gifting me a copy of Sense in exchange for an honest review.
I found Sense to be an immersive, intriguing and insightful reading experience. This non-fiction book explores how we can unlock and effectively use our senses to improve various aspects of our life, including: waking up in the morning, exercise, work, shopping, sleep and so much more. Russell provides clear descriptions of fascinating and relevant research alongside real world examples to support his sensory tips and insights. I really enjoyed learning more about each of our senses, including those that often operate at a subconscious level (i.e. proprioception, kinesthesia, interoception etc.). I also really appreciated the discussion around synaesthesia (merging of the senses)- I’ve always found this an exciting and captivating topic and first came across the synaesthetic mind during my undergraduate Perception course. I’d have liked to learn a bit more about senses at the neural level with accompanying neuroscientific evidence, but appreciate this may not be appropriate for a general audience (neuro nerd over here!).
Can this book really improve your life? I was slightly sceptical at first, but now that I’ve started to apply some of the ‘sensory prescription’ tips outlined in the morning, work and sleep chapters, I have already noticed a slight difference! If you’re interested and open minded, I believe Sense could help you transform and enhance certain aspects of your life. My fave tip: listening to slow music in a minor key actually helps that last hour of the working day fly by!
I’d highly recommend this book if you’d like to learn more about your senses and how to best utilise them in your daily life. Thank you again to Welbeck publishing for gifting me a copy of Sense in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2021
I found the book very disappointing. It is a listing of studies that show isual impact of colors and shapes, impact of sound and music on the mood, etc..
Maybe useful data for a consumer marketing executive but left me disappointed because while wearing red clothes has a certain impact on people, sitting at a round table is positive vs a rectangular one, there is no scientific explanation as to why it is so...
Was not worth the money I spent on the book!
Maybe useful data for a consumer marketing executive but left me disappointed because while wearing red clothes has a certain impact on people, sitting at a round table is positive vs a rectangular one, there is no scientific explanation as to why it is so...
Was not worth the money I spent on the book!
March 12, 2021
Easy to read popular science with practical tips and tricks.
June 20, 2024
Interesting information about Senses and how we perceive the world. Tips on how to improve our lives, if that's the mornings, work or home life. This book is great as an introduction to psychology behind senses however nothing groundbreaking. I do like the referencing of studies but lacking critical thoughts on them.
October 9, 2024
Very interesting book, full of interesting ideas and suggestions. I liked how it was organised by sense and situation. Something I picked up on, like another reviewer, is that I don’t know how rigorous the research was as there was a lot of mention of surveys rather than studies, and no references included.
February 6, 2025
Something between self-help and a fun fact book with science-backed ways to use senses to get the most out of each activity. Four stars because it can get repetitive near the end, where it's already shown it's methodology. Otherwise a genuinely useful and easy read
December 17, 2021
Fantastic glimpse into the impact our senses have on our world. A great read for anyone of any age!
August 22, 2020
Sense - Russell Jones
What an incredible book that will take you through your day, teaching you how to make it the best day possible.
Incredibly researched this book is the accumulation of Russell Jones’ lifes work and it’s the most interesting topic to read.
Starting you in the morning and going through all aspects of day to day life including the littlest things such as the fragrance your wearing, what colour crockery you should use, what to wear and drink during exercise. How your home should be lit when you get home, to your dinner time meal and how you should create the perfect sleep environment. It has all these events explained in short snappy ‘sensory prescriptions’ that are essentially an overview of the topic covered in the chapter. As well as this there are dedicated chapters to each sense going in to further detail.
My favourite thing is that there is a website that is linked with the book that includes the perfect morning alarm.
I couldn’t put this book down, eager for more insight how to improve all aspects of my life through taking advantage of my senses.
If your interested in non fiction health/self care/self help reads this book is for you. And even if your not this book is still so interesting I’m positive that at least on aspect of this book will have you enthralled. I’ve already been discussing aspects with family and friends and can’t wait to pass it on. Please if you read this let’s talk about it.
Thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group who kindly gifted me this copy in return for an honest review.
What an incredible book that will take you through your day, teaching you how to make it the best day possible.
Incredibly researched this book is the accumulation of Russell Jones’ lifes work and it’s the most interesting topic to read.
Starting you in the morning and going through all aspects of day to day life including the littlest things such as the fragrance your wearing, what colour crockery you should use, what to wear and drink during exercise. How your home should be lit when you get home, to your dinner time meal and how you should create the perfect sleep environment. It has all these events explained in short snappy ‘sensory prescriptions’ that are essentially an overview of the topic covered in the chapter. As well as this there are dedicated chapters to each sense going in to further detail.
My favourite thing is that there is a website that is linked with the book that includes the perfect morning alarm.
I couldn’t put this book down, eager for more insight how to improve all aspects of my life through taking advantage of my senses.
If your interested in non fiction health/self care/self help reads this book is for you. And even if your not this book is still so interesting I’m positive that at least on aspect of this book will have you enthralled. I’ve already been discussing aspects with family and friends and can’t wait to pass it on. Please if you read this let’s talk about it.
Thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group who kindly gifted me this copy in return for an honest review.
May 4, 2024
Some very interesting studies referenced, but the market research stuff outweighed the potentially more beneficial information.
February 25, 2024
I first listened to Sense as an audiobook. Realising I needed read it again to fully appreciate the content, I then borrowed it out from the library.... twice.
Sense offers ways for an individual to design their lives - from eating from a heavier plate to have a more richer experience to listening to fast music to slow down time!
I personally have been conducting my own experiments for how to design my reality - hence why I read this book in the first place. So it made sense to test the content out in my own world.
From anecdotal experience, listening to slower music does speed up time, and wearing pants oddly enough does make me work a different way.
This is a great book, but I do suggest you treat it like a series of experiments in your own life to get the most out of it.
Sense offers ways for an individual to design their lives - from eating from a heavier plate to have a more richer experience to listening to fast music to slow down time!
I personally have been conducting my own experiments for how to design my reality - hence why I read this book in the first place. So it made sense to test the content out in my own world.
From anecdotal experience, listening to slower music does speed up time, and wearing pants oddly enough does make me work a different way.
This is a great book, but I do suggest you treat it like a series of experiments in your own life to get the most out of it.
November 14, 2024
Listening to the Power of your senses on audible and kindle by Russell Jones. He takes you on a multi sensory journey to explore how our senses affect us so profoundly.
1: This morning
2: Sight
3: Exercise
4: Sound
5: Work
6: Touch
7: Shopping
8: Smell
9: Home
10: Taste
11: Dinner and drinks
12: The other senses
13: Sex
14: Sleep
1: This morning
2: Sight
3: Exercise
4: Sound
5: Work
6: Touch
7: Shopping
8: Smell
9: Home
10: Taste
11: Dinner and drinks
12: The other senses
13: Sex
14: Sleep
March 22, 2021
Easy to read and has many practical tips for everyday life
May 19, 2021
Interesting perspective - quick read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews