Cathy N. Davidson

An "ok" book. Basically 70% of the information it contains (starting from the opening example of the "did you spot the gorilla" video) has been around for quite a while. It starts from the topic of attention but doesn't stick very strictly to it, sometimes indulging too much in correlated digression (e.g. the American education system). Useful read nonetheless.



This is my favorite quote from the book: «Learning is the cartography of cultural value, indistinguishable from the landscape of our attention—and our blindness».… (more)

Davidson spent a year with Japan with her husband, Ted. Together, they have jobs teaching English while trying to learn all things Japanese. They make friends who help them with their quest. During this time of total immersion, Davidson becomes intimate with Japanese customs, so much so that when she and Ted are faced with tragedy and their Japanese friends break with tradition for their sake, Davidson is embarrassed and uncomfortable for them. This break from normal protocol touched me. Davidson went back to Japan a total of four times with varying lengths of stay. She and Ted contemplated a move to Japan only to decide the language barrier was too great to conquer. This bothered Davidson. Her inability to learn the language bothered her and shattered her confidence so much so she had to put the books she had written in front of her to reaffirm she is a smart woman.
I promise you, you will walk away with a deepened appreciation for Japanese culture. I did not know Tokyo is chaotic and disorganized in purpose. Streets are unnamed to anonymize people's addresses. How do things get delivered?… (more)