From the first two pages of the Preface:
Some time last spring I thought I would visit Her Majesty’s Fish in the aquarium… visiting a place where such things as giant octopedes (I notice that Microsoft is not only unhappy with the correct plural, but also allows octopi, which those of you who delight in annoying others will know is in fact wrong)…
I was, throughout my tour of largely similar fish, doing my best to read the little plaques next to each tank… I realised that underneath the descriptions … there was a translation of what I presumed to be the same information in Braille. For a while this seemed quite natural, and then I caught myself wondering: on average, how many blind people a year visit the London Aquarium? Now I don’t wish to sound insensitive…
I think this book will be deliciously politically incorrect and as enjoyable as the TV series.
The book? Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown. Naturally, I’m reading it purely for research in decision theory and knowledge systems… 😉
Side note: a bit geeky and blonde to admit – couldn’t resist opening Word to check if the Microsoft claim was true (it is, Word suggests Octopuses instead) and also checked the spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary (yup, it’s Octopedes and Octopi doesn’t exist, despite being considered valid in Word…)
Joining Dots 