Mr. Grafton is an excellent guide to the contemporary science of bodily skills.

Grafton writes with clarity and warmth, elucidating key points with descriptions of experiments and the work of many other scientists in a variety of fields.

At times a demanding scientific read, Grafton’s study is ultimately a thought-provoking examination of neuroscience delightfully informed by a transcendentalist plea for greater harmony with nature..

A climber and distance hiker, Grafton takes many of his examples from his own experiences outdoors under conditions that sometimes invite taking things for granted but that instead require constant vigilance, the mind connecting sensory information to appropriate responses—appropriate because, so often, doing the wrong thing can lead to disaster.

..[a] thoughtful debut.