Description
Book SynopsisHow to Feel explores the scientific, physical, emotional, and cultural aspects of touch, reconnecting us to what is arguably our most important sense. Sushma Subramanian introduces readers to the scientists whose groundbreaking research is underscoring the role of touch in our lives.
Trade ReviewA fascinating look at one of the most mysterious senses. A great read for anyone who has ever wondered why you feel the way you feel, literally. -- Olga Khazan, author of
Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider WorldIn this addictively readable book, Sushma Subramanian explores our vital human sense of touch in terms of history, science, culture, family and most of all humanity. It's a story full of insight and surprise, told by a science writer with a poet's sense of language. Don't miss it. -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of AffectionThis book is a wonderful journey into the science of touch. Sushma Subramanian is a great writer who has deeply researched her subject, so the book offers the experience of discovering science with the ease of reading fiction. -- Tiffany M. Field, director of the Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine
Subramanian brings an intensely personal narrative to the study of touch, with a breadth of coverage and a great balance for scientists and nonscientists alike. -- Robert DeSalle, author of
Our Senses: An Immersive ExperienceOf all the senses, touch continues to be the least understood because it has so many components that are difficult to isolate.’ [How to Feel: The Science and Meaning of Touch is a] useful introduction to the culture, mechanics, and consequences of touch. * Booklist *
Subramanian is a thoughtful guide. [
How to Feel] delivers an eye-opening mix of self-discovery and scientific investigation. * Publishers Weekly *
[Subramanian] enjoyably shows through interviews with philosophers, massage therapists, haptic technologists, a man with no sense of touch and others, touch is our least understood sense. * Nature *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Dull: How Our Cultures Lost Touch
2. Numb: Life Without Touch
3. Mushy: When Sensation Crosses Into Emotion
4. Untethered: Will the Body Become Obsolete?
5. Softening: Overcoming Touch Aversion
6. Boundaries: Knowing Good Touch from Bad
7. Slick: How Companies Sell Us Touch
8. Haptics: Bringing Touch to Our Technology
9. Tactful: Building Machines That Can Touch Us Back
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
