Mirrors in Mind (Penguin Press Science)
Mirrors fascinate us - they can reveal and they can delude; and they reflect nature for both science and art. The precious and magic objects of history still set us curious puzzles, such as the left-right reversed mirror writing, which has confused philosophers and scientists - and most people - through the ages. In this highly unusual and deeply fascinating book, Richard Gregory provides us with a rich and a varied feast from the world of mirrors: mirrors in science, in art, and in history. Thousands of years of questioning and experimenting have led to an ever more surprising understanding of light, of matter, and of mind. Who could have guessed that mirrors are like radio aerials, and like tuning forks; and yet through the strangeness of light they are not quite like anything else at all. It is high time, believes Richard Gregory, to look, and to reflect, with mirrors in mind.
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Philosophy, Nonfiction, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
Philosophy · Nonfiction · Fiction
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
No specific content concerns can be confirmed from the available English catalog information. Consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Balanced tone · Measured pace
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-1401-7118-1
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL9303923M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
Begin with its place in Philosophy, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- What question is the author really asking beneath the book’s main argument?
- Which claim challenges one of your familiar assumptions?
- What remains unresolved—and is that uncertainty useful?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
More Philosophy books
These matches combine shared categories with author, publication-era, and reading-length signals.
The world of perception
by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar publication era.
Chic Ironic Bitterness
by R. Jay Magill
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Ethics and Religion in a Pluralistic Age
by Brian Hebblethwaite
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Forced Exit
by Wesley J. Smith
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Recent British Philosophy
by David Masson
Why it fits: shares Nonfiction and Philosophy, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
The Ethical Brain
by Gazzaniga, Michael S.
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.