Books with title SuperVisions: Ambiguous Optical Illusions

First you see one thing, then another. The picture changes from one moment to the next, flip-flopping back and forth. That's an ambiguous illusion, and the ones in this largest-ever collection offer constant, pleasurable surprises. Sometimes, the perceptual shift occurs if you just stare at the visual puzzle long enough; in other cases, it's necessary to invert or rotate the image first. In one picture, it's a cat-and-mouse game as you try to discover where the mouse is hiding from the cat. Another image features two minstrels playing homage to William Shakespeare--but at first, only the familiar portrait of the bard may be apparent. Once the dual nature of the illusion reveals itself, you'll never see just one object again.

How can a flat page have pictures that actually seem to move? That's what these 90 action illusions--the largest such compilation ever assembled--succeed in doing. Through the magic of visual effects, including the careful use of color and brightness, static images become animated and solid shapes deform right before your eyes. Some of the illusions appear to hover in the air; others produce afterimages of bright color or produce a sensation of swirling. In a number of cases, it's necessary to shift the entire page to get the trick, or to use peripheral vision for the full effect. You'll be stunned as perfect squares appear out of nowhere, patterns pulse, and yellow dots flash.