This is the third book by these authors that I have reviewed and most of my comments on the others apply to this one as well.("Puzzillusions" July 20,2008;"Dazzling Optical Illusions",June 28,2005).
This is the largest of the three at 288 pages. I was surprised to find a lack of reviews on these books by other reviewers;at least for those listed on Amazon. There are others listed on other Used Book sites,however no reviews there either.
I have been a puzzle enthusiast for at least 60 years and have accumulated over 600 books on them.Optical illusions,impossible figures and of course M.C Escher have always gained my attention.
Although I've never done an exhaustive search;the authors of this book and another ,Al Seckel, are very prominent with books on optical illusions these days;and one can't go wrong with any of them.
Where Sarcone and Waeber differ is that they approach optical illusions in a more scholastic way.They give very good introductary notes on many aspects of the subject. They give excellent, but simple, explanations on the "science" behind the illusion and the actual names of people who are accrediated with explaining them in the Gallery Notes ,which follow each of the 11 Gallery of Illusions.Here you will learn about Zollner illusion,Anstis and Watanabe diamond illusion,Kanisza triangle illusion,Mlner illusion,Munstenberg Pseudoptics,Ligelbach grid illusion,Pinna-Brelstaff rotating illusion,an adaption on the Tangram Puzzle (138),Ponzo illusion,Borromean circles,Muller-Lyer illusion,Ouchi illusion,Adelson's tile pattern,and many more resources to investigate further,for anyone who wants to study Optical Illusions seriously.They also include a short section of Classical Optical Illusions including the names associated with them.To complete the book the authors have included a Glossary as well as some good references and even "opriginal and interesting web sites on optical illusions.There is however,a bit too much of repetition such as with impossible stairs,parrallel lines,and other examples.
As with the other books I reviewed,the physical quality,paqper printing,color and construction is excellent.But once again ;I must mention that there should have been a "packet" at the back with separate pages for the puzzles on pages,30,72,82,132,133,138,1ll,183,191,193,213,214,215,221,229,241 and 235.Those 17 pages could easily have been provided in lieu of the "repeats" in the book;and would have made the book a much better product;rather than telling the purchaser to make their own" or to ,God forbid,cut up the book.The copying suggested might be appropriate for classroom use, but not for personal use.