Adam Roberts
Now You See Me…
Invisible: The Dangerous Allure of the Unseen
By Philip Ball
The Bodley Head 320pp £25 order from our bookshop
Why, Philip Ball asks, are we so fascinated by invisibility? What would we do if we happened upon the Ring of Gyges – or of Frodo Baggins? ‘The chances are,’ Ball thinks, ‘it will have something to do with power, wealth or sex. Perhaps all three, given the opportunity.’ Power, wealth and sex would constitute a pretty potent publishing trifecta as far as snagging readers’ attention is concerned. Imagine if the pop-sci book that tapped those three phenomena actually existed. Imagine if it were more than a mirage, flickering on the edge of sight.
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