The Invisible Gorilla was a jaunt around the mind that made me laugh at myself, nod my head in agreement, and quote studies and statistics to friends until they made me change the subject. Illusions, confidence, and looking without seeing, these are the invisible gorillas of Christopher Chabris, and Daniel Simons enlightening book.

We have such a strong confidence in our own mental abilities, that we often don't question our memories and in doing so miss the obvious. For those who don't know, the invisible gorilla is a now famous experiment, illustrating how once we are focused on a task we become blind to other (obvious and even strange) occurrences right under our noses. "The gorilla study illustrates...the powerful and pervasive influence of the illusion of attention" - what is referred to as "looking without seeing".

Take this example; a person with a map looking lost approaches you for directions to the library. Suddenly, you are rudely interrupted by two people carrying a large wooden door. Once they pass by, you turn to finish giving directions, but to test you, the lost individual has been replaced with someone completely different. Would you notice? More than 95% of people surveyed thought they would, while only about 50% of people actually did!

As the book develops, some chapters serve as myth busters for psychology research. Authors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons elaborate on some popular "Get Smart Quick!" programs. The authors demonstrate that while these mental exercises can be best sellers, the more lasting effect is making one efficient at the "program" rather than enhancing your overall IQ. They also offer an in depth look at some landmark studies that have been properly disproved in follow up studies - but never received the popular voice needed to change peoples minds. This is the part of the book where I felt like I had a genius friend dash my dreams of listening to Mozart to have my true mental capacities unlocked.

It was great to consider the strength of ones memory from the perspective of the Hollywood continuity pros. In chapter two we turn to the continuity experts for films, also called script supervisors. Films are typically shot out of sequence and in many locations. Heads roll if scenes don't match seamlessly even if they were shot months apart. In asking script supervisors about their own 'change blindness' and what skills they need to be great at their job, none professed to having photographic memories, or thought they had special mental capacities - they were just meticulous at taking notes and documenting the set. In fact, veteran script supervisor summed it up this way; "The one thing this (job) has taught me is that my memory is very fallible - It's shockingly fallible."

Want to know what smart chess players and stupid criminals have in common? Read The Invisible Gorilla, and then reconsider your own confidence. While it is chock full of statistical references, its conversational style drew me in. It is a great read, and personally an eye opener. I would typically read it while commuting on the bus and then close it in my lap and challenge myself to recall small things around me. The result? A more focused me, and a much better commute!

Labgrab recommends The Invisible Gorilla as tasty brain food.

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