TRICKS OF THE MIND

yours or anyone else's are on topics we don't understand - as worth-

less as my opinions on hockey, Noel Edmonds or rimming.
So, taking on board the wide range of people who might watch
my shows, I have tried to pitch this book to the intelligent reader
with a layman's interest in things mind-related. Some of those
things I feel passionately about and others are drier subjects: I just
offer my thoughts at the level at which they occur in my enormous
round bearded head. The subjects covered are diverse, and some
are a little more academic in tone than others. Equally, I have
rejected the option of writing an anaemically 'light' introduction to
exciting mind-feats, which would make for easy reading and quick
writing but would undoubtedly be misleading, and instead incorpo-
rated a level of scepticism where I feel it is important This comes
from a desire to make the contents of the book as worthwhile
and unpatronizing as possible ('patronizing', of course, means 'to
talk down to people').
I do hope that you are inspired to delve further into one or more
of the areas to which this book will introduce you; if not, it should
make an excellent and inexpensive bath-toy for your least favourite
child. I would love to feel that this book can give you information
you can apply practically, or use as a springboard for further useful
discovery. That would be my aim. I would hate you to leave with just
a list of fish.

XVI