The Voynich Manuscript has been considered to be the world's most mysterious book. Filled with strange illustrations and an unknown language, it challenged the world's top code-crackers for nearly a century.
But in just four-and-a-half months, Dr. Gordon Rugg, a renowned researcher, found evidence (which had been there all along) that the book could be a giant, glittering hoax.
In Blind Spot: Why We Fail to See the Solution Right in Front of Us, Dr. Rugg shares his story and shows how his toolkit of problem-solving techniques--such as his Verifier Method--can save the day, particularly in those times when the experts on your team have all the data in front of them but are still unaccountably at an impasse.
In the tradition of Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Ariely, Dr. Rugg, a rising star in computer science, challenges us to re-examine the way we think, and provides new tools to solve problems and crack codes in our own lives.
About the Author :
Dr. Gordon Rugg is a senior lecturer in computer science at Keele University and a visiting senior research fellow in computing at the Open University, Milton Keynes. Rugg's research has delved into everything from attitude theory and artificial intelligence to information retrieval and software engineering for safety-critical systems. Rugg lives in Shropshire, UK.
Review :
"A wonderful work...Rugg has succeeded in pulling off the almost impossible task of presenting a highly complex subject area in a way that can be understood by all. This is in fact the overall purpose of the book--to present new ways of looking at complex areas that make the 'hidden messages' seem all so obvious." - Wesley Vernon, O.B.E., professor at Jordanthorpe Healthe Centre, Sheffield
"A wonderful work...Rugg has succeeded in pulling off the almost impossible task of presenting a highly complex subject area in a way that can be understood by all." - Wesley Vernon, O.B.E., professor at Jordanthorpe Healthe Centre, Sheffield
"Blind Spot provides a template for making sense of failure and divining a strategy for success. A unique and invigorating read; compelling and entertaining, informative and inspiring." - David J. Parkes, associate director of Information Services at Staffordshire University
"Rugg is at the cutting edge of research into one of the biggest questions of our time: when can the pronouncements of experts be trusted? This book applies Rugg's groundbreaking methods to a fascinating range of issues, with sometimes shocking consequences." - Robert Matthews, Department of Mathematics at Aston University, Birmingham, and author of 25 Big Ideas: The Science That's Changing Our World
"Blind Spot sheds light on logical errors, false contributions, and selective perception. Rugg has made an important contribution not only to cryptology, but to critical thinking as a whole." - Klaus Schmeh, Voynich Manuscript expert and blogger
"Rugg's story of how he may well have solved the mystery of the Voynich Manuscript, an incomprehensible ancient text that has kept some of the best minds tied in knots for nearly a century, shows that simple good thinking can trump high-powered technology and self-assured expertise." - Denis M. Donovan, M.D., M.Ed., F.A.P.S., director of the EOCT Institute
"A fast-paced, intellectual detective story exploring groundbreaking new ideas about how we think and how we make costly mistakes. Blind Spot takes us on a tantalizing adventure involving treasure maps, secret codes, and obscure language that are all put to the test with Rugg's Verifier Method. This is a must read!" - Jerald L. Feinstein, director of education at American InterContinental University and managing partner for Buzz Analytics
