There is a problem in writing
a book such as this on a still
young and controversial field.
One wants to present the body
of knowledge and theory
concerning which there is a
high degree of consensus in
order to represent most
accurately the state of the art.
But, when there is much
disagreement even about what
are the important facts, that is
difficult to do. Moreover, a
theoretically neutral book
presenting either no
speculation at all or all sides of
every issue can make dull
reading. I have thus tried to
steer a middle course: Describe
the perceptual phenomena that
most investigators consider
important, discuss the major
theories that have been
proposed to explain them, and
give my own point of view and
the evidence supporting it.
When I advance a somewhat
idiosyncratic theory or
speculation, I say so.