In a recent series of ground-breaking psychological experiments, volunteers were shown a 30-second film of some people playing basketball and told to count the number of passes made with the ball. After just a few seconds, a man dressed as a gorilla slowly walked into frame, beat his chest at the camera, and sauntered off. Unbelievably, almost none of the people watching the film noticed the gorilla. Exactly the same psychological mechanisms that cause people to miss the gorilla also make them miss unexpected but vitally important opportunities in their professional and personal lives. This book outlines the scientific evidence and thinking behind this remarkable new phenomenon, and shows you how you can spot gorillas in your life - and what to do when you see one. (20030609)
Did You Spot The Gorilla?
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Book Description
An exciting and unusual popular business/self-help book that reveals a new way of creating opportunities at work and in personal life. (20030609)
About the Author
Professor Richard Wiseman has a first-class honours degree in Psychology from University College London, a doctorate from Edinburgh University, and was awarded the prestigious Perrott-Warrick Scholarship from Trinity College Cambridge. He now heads a research unit based within the Psychology Department at the University of Herefordshire. Professor Wiseman's work is frequently featured in the national press, and he has appeared many times on Horizon, Equinox and World in Action, and co-presented BBC1's Out of this World with Carol Vorderman. He has also made regular appearances on BBC1's Tomorrow's World, on which he has carried out several large-scale experiments involving thousands of people. (20030609)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
This is not as good as Quirkology, which was by far Wiseman's most readable book.
6 Feb 2009
By Mr. T. White
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
I very much enjoyed Quirkology and looked to Wiseman's back catalogue hoping to find something just as interesting. Alas, Did you Spot The Gorilla was most disappointing in comparison. Not least because it was so short. Though it is quoted as being of over a hundred pages the actual pages of readable text amount to noticeably less than that. There are cartoons and many instances of blank pages used throughout the book to pad out its size too. Which I felt was a little naughty.
Despite its shortness, it's not too bad a book; just not up to the standard I expected of him, having loved his other book. So, at the end of the day, I feel that the author (characteristically an experimenter) was trying out an experiment in how little could be published and yet still be received as a sucessful book. His successful book remains, Quirkology, and unless you are more of a fan of Wiseman than I am (& I am!) then stick to that instead.
Despite its shortness, it's not too bad a book; just not up to the standard I expected of him, having loved his other book. So, at the end of the day, I feel that the author (characteristically an experimenter) was trying out an experiment in how little could be published and yet still be received as a sucessful book. His successful book remains, Quirkology, and unless you are more of a fan of Wiseman than I am (& I am!) then stick to that instead.
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By D. Clews
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you understand what is meant by the term, "can't see the woods for the trees" and you have read any books about lateral thinking then you will be as disappointed as I was. Many examples are given of people who have thought laterally but this book calls it "spotted the gorilla" (based on a video demonstrating an interesting psychological phenomenon which has been seen by many internet users.)
In a nutshell, the author tells you to stand back to look at the bigger picture (see the wood rather than the trees) and do some brainstorming without excluding the ridiculous and you may find you improve your observational and problem solving skills.
I found the book an enjoyable and very easy read but with very little content that I had not encountered previously.
If this sort of material is unfamiliar to you, I promise you will enjoy it and it will be worth five stars to you.
In a nutshell, the author tells you to stand back to look at the bigger picture (see the wood rather than the trees) and do some brainstorming without excluding the ridiculous and you may find you improve your observational and problem solving skills.
I found the book an enjoyable and very easy read but with very little content that I had not encountered previously.
If this sort of material is unfamiliar to you, I promise you will enjoy it and it will be worth five stars to you.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Vinman666
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I ordered this book partly because I've discovered an interest in psychology and also because I'd like to spot hidden opportunities that have perhaps passed me by. On its arrival, the first gorilla I spotted was the number of pages of content: 107. Factor in that each change of chapter involves 2 blank pages and 1 full page drawing for the chapter header and the number of pages of actual text is less still. That's not unusual for this type of book (e.g. "Who moved my cheese" or "The One Minute Manager") but worth knowing in advance.
It's an entertaining read and includes a variety of demonstrations of each technique though once again the drawings for these fill quite a lot of page space. At least it's based on proper research (fully referenced at the back) and kicks any of the self-help nonsense - "The Secret" et al - into touch; for that reason I've given it 4 stars with the caveat below.
I would suggest this is a useful book for a business, where it could be shared around a team for the benefit of all - it won't take more than an hour or so to read. For the casual reader, the same author's ":59 Seconds - Think a little, Change a lot" book is better value. It covers this topic with less padding and contains a wealth of other psychological advice for living a happier life.
It's an entertaining read and includes a variety of demonstrations of each technique though once again the drawings for these fill quite a lot of page space. At least it's based on proper research (fully referenced at the back) and kicks any of the self-help nonsense - "The Secret" et al - into touch; for that reason I've given it 4 stars with the caveat below.
I would suggest this is a useful book for a business, where it could be shared around a team for the benefit of all - it won't take more than an hour or so to read. For the casual reader, the same author's ":59 Seconds - Think a little, Change a lot" book is better value. It covers this topic with less padding and contains a wealth of other psychological advice for living a happier life.
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3.5 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good
packed with info b b b b nnh n n n n n n nh n h n bn bn
Published 3 months ago by Ms. S. Clark
1.0 out of 5 stars
VERY disappointing
If you've seen the title, you've seen it all. Fortunately I got the book from a public library - so I did only waste my time, not my money.
Published 4 months ago by Jan Matthys
5.0 out of 5 stars
A light hearted look at lateral thinking.
Anyone interested in looking at attention and opportunity would like to read this book. This book is good humoured, smart, well researched and accessible. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Barry K Jackson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good book but a little too short
I'm a fan of Professor Wiseman and have already reviewed his other book: 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Joseph Benn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and full of insight
Read this book. It takes a couple of enjoyable hours at most. It contains practical ideas for how to be more creative and come up with something original. Read more
Published on 16 July 2010 by A. S. Frieze
4.0 out of 5 stars
a must read
This book brings to front our short sightedness. It reveals how we are conditioned to see what we want to see or what we are looking for and so miss out on many hidden... Read more
Published on 1 April 2010 by Johnyfish
1.0 out of 5 stars
Missing the point and the Gorilla!
This book is a complete waste of money and just another example of 'experts' jumping onto the work of Professor Robert Cialdini. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by Dilraj Sidhu
5.0 out of 5 stars
Did You Spot the Gorilla?
Very injoyable and immensly informative. I bought several other books of Richard Wiseman's after this one and I am working my way though them. Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2009 by S. Augustin
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Customer
I thought the book would make at least a little difference to every day life, but it didn't happen. As some reviewers already said there were too many blank pages to disguise the... Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2009 by Alter ipse amicus
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you keep doing things like you've always done them.what you'll get...
If you keep doing things like you've always done them.what you'll get is what you've already got.
I heard the author on the radio talking about his latest book 59... Read more
I heard the author on the radio talking about his latest book 59... Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by Peter Wade
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