Seeing What Others Cannot See: The Hidden Advantages of Visual Thinkers and Differently Wired Brains

As we learn more about the brain, we learn more about ourselves, and one of the most important revelations of the past few decades concerns how we learn. The difference between verbal learning and visual learning is vast, and while those with dyslexia, Asperger’s syndrome, and other conditions have struggled in the past, there may be a sea change coming for those visual learners in the future.

Seeing What Others Cannot See explores the consequences of an education system steeped in verbal learning and how visual learning is not only the future of education but the future for many in the workplace. The increased reliance on visual and spatial skills favors those who would previously be classified as dull, disengaged, or underachieving by traditional educational methods.

It’s intriguing science reinforced with anecdotes about top minds — like Einstein, Maxwell, and Mandelbrot — whose own life experiences bolster West’s conclusions.

Be aware, though: Seeing What Others Cannot See collects pieces from previously published papers, so there is some noticeable repetition between chapters. The phrase “new in the late 1990s” was particularly jarring.

That being said, this is an important look at what is, what could be, and what should be.