Review of Figments of Persuasion Field Guide
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Rajnee Varma
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Review of Figments of Persuasion Field Guide
[Following is a volunteer review of "Figments of Persuasion Field Guide" by Nancy L Vallette.]
Figments of Persuasion Field Guide is an illustrated book that takes the readers into a world of fantasy and introduces them to the figments of emotions and experiences. The combined efforts of the author, Nancy L. Vallette, and the illustrator, Don Stephenson, have made the book a fantastic read. The author convinces the readers that figments are not fabricated entities—they really exist in the form of our strong emotions, are personified by their characteristics, and attach themselves to objects, places, or memories. The author describes and distinguishes the two variations of figments: the figments of emotions and the figments of common experiences. She describes more than 50 emotions and experiences, assigning them names according to their features. The readers learn about the characteristics and occurrences of figments like shivers, demures, vexations, mislays, peeves, frenetics, wanderlust, platitudes, barterers, dawdlers, regrets, demeanors, placids, ennui, etc. I noticed a few of them worth mentioning, especially deja vu and conniptions. Conniptions cause children and pets to rile, to have a hissy, while deja vu is described as a complicated figment that inspires a memory of an event that never took place and causes confusion and frustration.
The author mentions the story of the origin of the figments, the Second Chance Island, the environment, and the role of energy in the figments. All humans experience emotions and are affected by figments, irrespective of their appearance, language, customs, culture, age, or country. And that is the reason why mythological characters like fairies, goblins, trolls, gnomes, elves, dragons, mermaids, and dwarves have been part of every culture all over the world. The author sees them as guardians of emotions and keepers of everyday occurrences, although some people are more susceptible to the various kinds of figments. Figments take shape and form depending on the emotions and are as diverse as strong emotions and human experiences.
The book explores emotions and experiences and how they affect human behavior. It helps understand traits like being pretentious, why some objects have sentimental value and are never thrown away, and why memories of places, people, or events evoke different sentiments. Since human behavior is prompted by emotions and past experiences, the title of the book is very appropriate. The beautiful illustrations are quite impressive and complement the text. The black-and-white illustrations are a blend of mythological characters, humans, and their characteristic behaviors—funny cartoons with expressive faces. I did not notice any negative aspects of the book, and there is nothing that demands improvement. It deserves a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
I completely agree with the author that it requires either the innocence of a child or one has to be a strong believer to see and experience the figments of persuasion. To understand the emotions and the figments, the author urges us to observe, experience, and enjoy nature and the small things around us. The book is entertaining as well as contemplative, and the illustrations are inviting; a hard copy of the book can be used as a coloring book too. I would recommend it to people who like to learn about the relationship between emotions and human behavior, presented in an unusually fascinating manner.
******
Figments of Persuasion Field Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Figments of Persuasion Field Guide is an illustrated book that takes the readers into a world of fantasy and introduces them to the figments of emotions and experiences. The combined efforts of the author, Nancy L. Vallette, and the illustrator, Don Stephenson, have made the book a fantastic read. The author convinces the readers that figments are not fabricated entities—they really exist in the form of our strong emotions, are personified by their characteristics, and attach themselves to objects, places, or memories. The author describes and distinguishes the two variations of figments: the figments of emotions and the figments of common experiences. She describes more than 50 emotions and experiences, assigning them names according to their features. The readers learn about the characteristics and occurrences of figments like shivers, demures, vexations, mislays, peeves, frenetics, wanderlust, platitudes, barterers, dawdlers, regrets, demeanors, placids, ennui, etc. I noticed a few of them worth mentioning, especially deja vu and conniptions. Conniptions cause children and pets to rile, to have a hissy, while deja vu is described as a complicated figment that inspires a memory of an event that never took place and causes confusion and frustration.
The author mentions the story of the origin of the figments, the Second Chance Island, the environment, and the role of energy in the figments. All humans experience emotions and are affected by figments, irrespective of their appearance, language, customs, culture, age, or country. And that is the reason why mythological characters like fairies, goblins, trolls, gnomes, elves, dragons, mermaids, and dwarves have been part of every culture all over the world. The author sees them as guardians of emotions and keepers of everyday occurrences, although some people are more susceptible to the various kinds of figments. Figments take shape and form depending on the emotions and are as diverse as strong emotions and human experiences.
The book explores emotions and experiences and how they affect human behavior. It helps understand traits like being pretentious, why some objects have sentimental value and are never thrown away, and why memories of places, people, or events evoke different sentiments. Since human behavior is prompted by emotions and past experiences, the title of the book is very appropriate. The beautiful illustrations are quite impressive and complement the text. The black-and-white illustrations are a blend of mythological characters, humans, and their characteristic behaviors—funny cartoons with expressive faces. I did not notice any negative aspects of the book, and there is nothing that demands improvement. It deserves a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
I completely agree with the author that it requires either the innocence of a child or one has to be a strong believer to see and experience the figments of persuasion. To understand the emotions and the figments, the author urges us to observe, experience, and enjoy nature and the small things around us. The book is entertaining as well as contemplative, and the illustrations are inviting; a hard copy of the book can be used as a coloring book too. I would recommend it to people who like to learn about the relationship between emotions and human behavior, presented in an unusually fascinating manner.
******
Figments of Persuasion Field Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Three Weeks in Winter by Joseph LeValley
