This comprehensive introduction to the senses explains how physical stimuli are transformed into signals in the nervous system and how the brain uses those signals to understand the world. Whereas most texts in the field begin by covering vision, this trailblazing work offers students a solid grounding in the principles of perceptual measurement and the biological mechanisms that make perception possible before introducing the somatosensory and then the olfactory system. This innovative presentation ensures that students have a firm grasp of the basics before they approach the complexities of hearing and vision, making Fundamentals of Sensory Perception an indispensable introduction to sensation and perception.

Avi Chaudhuri's profile page

Avi Chaudhuri joined McGill University in 1993 and was appointed to the prestigious James McGill Chair in Psychology in 2002. Specializing in the molecular biology of vision and visual psychophysics, professor Chaudhuri obtained his PhD in visual sciences and psychophysics from UC-Berkley. He is a frequent attendee and keynote speaker at psychological conferences around the world. Fundamentals of Sensory Perception will be his first book.

"A good mix of history, biology, and psychology [with] better coverage of psychophysics and the physiology of each sensory system than any other book currently available." --Deborah Giaschi, University of British Columbia

"Very engaging, well-organized, and thought-provoking. Frankly, I haven't found any weaknesses. The explanations of difficult topics in this text are perfect for students who may not be mathematically or natural sciences oriented (without sacrificing rigor). Sensation and Perception is a fun and important psychological topic. This text captures and conveys this well." --Steven W. Horowitz, Central Connecticut State University

"Reading the author's foreword convinced me that it might be a better choice to start lecturing first about the chemical senses before attacking the more complex (and better studied) modalities of vision and audition!" --Alan Stocker, University of Pennsylvania

"A fresh and modern look at sensory processing. . . a pleasure to read. I particularly enjoyed that the book did not begin with the visual system, as virtually every other book does. The introductory chapter explains some difficult psychophysical concepts very well." --Stephen G. Lomber, University of Western Ontario