Eyes were one of the very first body parts to evolve more than 500 million years ago, and their structure has remained virtually unchanged through most of evolutionary history. But eyes alone were never enough for Homo sapiens. From the mastery of fire a million years ago to the smartphone today, humans have repeatedly invented new ways to see their surroundings, each other and themselves. Artificial light, art, mirrors, writing, lenses, printing, photography, film, television, smartphones - these tools didn't just add to our visual repertoire, they shaped cultures around the world and made us who we are. Drawing on sources from anthropology to zoology, neuroscience to Netflix, As Far As the Eye Can See traces the history of seeing from the first evolutionary stirrings of sight and discovers that each time we changed how or what we see, we changed ourselves and the world around us. Along the way, it finds, sight slowly eclipsed our other senses. Are we now at 'peak seeing', the author asks. Can our eyes keep up with technology? Have we gone as far as the eye can see?

About the Author
Susan Denham Wade spent twenty years researching, writing and presenting on the future of television, digital media and communications technology as a strategist and media executive at the BBC and in Hollywood. She has an MA in Creative Writing (Non Fiction) from City University, where she was awarded the City Non Fiction Award, as well as degrees in Economics and Law and a Harvard MBA. She lives in West Sussex.

Reviews

'I was entranced from the first paragraph. A magnificently readable survey of so much that in the human experience is profound and profoundly important to us ... Every page elicits at least one "ah" "ooh" or "wow!", usually all three at once. Authoritative without being dry, academic or difficult, fluent and fun without being facetious or over simple As Far As The Eye Can See is a remarkable achievement.' -- Stephen Fry 'In his book, Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari gave us a portrait of our broad family history. As Far as the Eye Can See paints a picture that is more intimate, closer both physically and in time.' -- Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator
'A wonderful, wide-ranging, totally gripping account of the evolution of seeing, from the firelight shadows of 1 million BC to the age of Netflix. Well worth casting your eye over, if only to find out how - and why - you are able to do that ...'
-- Giles Coren, presenter, columnist 'From the first fires to the Facebook age, As Far as the Eye Can See takes us on an elegant, sweeping and wholly fascinating tour through human history.' -- Peter Moore, best-selling author of The Weather Experimentand Endeavour

'I was entranced from the first paragraph. A magnificently readable survey of so much that in the human experience is profound and profoundly important to us ... Every page elicits at least one "ah" "ooh" or "wow!", usually all three at once. Authoritative without being dry, academic or difficult, fluent and fun without being facetious or over simple As Far As The Eye Can See is a remarkable achievement.' -- Stephen Fry
'In his book, Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari gave us a portrait of our broad family history. As Far as the Eye Can See paints a picture that is more intimate, closer both physically and in time.' -- Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator
'A wonderful, wide-ranging, totally gripping account of the evolution of seeing, from the firelight shadows of 1 million BC to the age of Netflix. Well worth casting your eye over, if only to find out how - and why - you are able to do that ...' -- Giles Coren, presenter, columnist
'From the first fires to the Facebook age, As Far as the Eye Can See takes us on an elegant, sweeping and wholly fascinating tour through human history.' -- Peter Moore, best-selling author of The Weather Experiment and Endeavour

Book Information
ISBN 9780750997164
Author Susan Denham Wade
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd