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Psychology of Touch and Blindness, by Morton A. Heller and Edouard Gentaz, offers a comprehensive look at the nature of touch for researchers and other professionals who seek a deep understanding of the theoretical and neurological aspects of the subject. Practitioners, however, may find the book too theoretical and lacking discussion about how the information included in the text can be applied when working with adults or children who are visually impaired (that is those who are blind or have low vision). Although the book does not provide strategies for the explicit application of its theories, the text includes a large amount of information on the basic science of touch and the haptic abilities of people with visual impairments. Those readers who are willing to investigate the information fully enough to make their own connections between the research being presented and practice could apply such knowledge to the education of people with visual impairments.
Confusing terminology
Although the book covers an incredible amount of information, the tone of the book is quite understandable. Technical terms and jargon are explained and often include examples or analogies that further illustrate the concepts or points. The authors frequently relay personal experiences and encounters with individuals who are blind to support points being made. Although I appreciated this...