{"product_id":"through-the-looking-glasses-the-spectacular-life-of-spectacles-9780349144115","title":"Through the Looking Glasses: The Spectacular Life of Spectacles","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Elegant and multi-focal. Glorious!' Simon Garfield\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'It will make you look at specs with fresh eyes' \u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Lively, engaging and admirably wide-ranging' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating' \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe humble pair of glasses might just be one of the world's greatest inventions, allowing millions to see a world that might otherwise appear a blur. And yet how much do many of us really think about these things perched on the ends of our noses? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThrough the Looking Glasses\u003c\/i\u003e traces the fascinating story of spectacles: from their inception as primitive visual aids for monkish scribes right through to today's designer eyewear and the augmented reality of Google Glass. There are encounters with ingenious medieval Italian glassmakers, myopic Renaissance rulers and spectacle-makers, as well as the silent movie star Harold Lloyd, the rock'n'roller Buddy Holly and the full-screen figure of Marilyn Monroe. This is a book about vision and the need for humanity to see clearly, and where the impulse to improve our eyesight has led us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcclaimed by the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e as 'one of the country's finest pop culture historians', Travis Elborough has been a freelance writer, author, broadcaster and cultural commentator for nearly two decades. Elborough's books include \u003ci\u003eWish You Were Here: England on Sea, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Long-Player Goodbye\u003c\/i\u003e, a hymn to vinyl records that inspired the BBC4 documentary \u003ci\u003eWhen Albums Ruled the World\u003c\/i\u003e, in which he also appeared, and \u003ci\u003eA Walk in the Park\u003c\/i\u003e, a loving exploration of public parks and green space. Elborough regularly appears on Radio 4 and recently wrote and presented the five-part series, \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the Antique\u003c\/i\u003e, and is a frequent contributor to the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e, among other newspapers and magazines\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Abacus (UK)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50398372430098,"sku":"9780349144115","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_36062766-2a68-4fc1-82ca-3befc76d45cd.jpg?v=1729066358","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/through-the-looking-glasses-the-spectacular-life-of-spectacles-9780349144115","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}