Originally published as: Where am I? Toronto : HarperCollins, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-321) and index.
Contents:
Lost and found -- Why ants don't get lost at the mall : how humans and animals navigate space. Looking for targets : simple tactics for finding our way that we share with all other animals ; Looking for landmarks : how we search for the invisible by using the visible ; Looking for routes : how we try to keep track of where we are by noting where we have been ; Maps in the world : how expert navigators use specialized senses to find their way ; Maps in mouse minds : the mental maps of space possessed by animals ; Muddled maps in human minds : the peculiar nature of our mental maps and what it says about how we understand space -- Making your way in the world today : how our mind shapes the places where we work, live, and play. House space : how our mental maps influence our behavior inside our homes ; Working space : how the geography of our mind influences our habits of work and play ; City space : how knowing (or not knowing) our place influences life in the city ; Cyberspace : how the nature of our mind makes it possible for us to live in electronic places ; Greenspace : how the features of our spatial brain influence our connections to, and neglect of, our natural environment ; The future of space.
Summary:
Psychologist Colin Ellard explains how, over centuries of innovation, we have lost our instinctive ability to find our way and suggests that architects and city planners need to consider human behavior when designing human environments, and we all need to recognize that we are part of, not isolated from, the space around us.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.