The New Science of Eating

Gastrophysics

A ground-breaking book by the world-leading expert in sensory science: Freakonomics for food 
 
'Popular science at its best' - Daniel Levitin 
 
 Why do we consume 35% more food when eating with one more person, and 75% more when with three? 
 
Why are 27% of drinks bought on aeroplanes tomato juice? 
 
How are chefs and companies planning to transform our dining experiences, and what can we learn from their cutting-edge insights to make memorable meals at home? 
 
 These are just some of the ingredients of Gastrophysics, in which the pioneering Oxford professor Charles Spence shows how our senses link up in the most extraordinary ways, and reveals the importance of all the 'off-the-plate' elements of a meal: the weight of cutlery, the placing on the plate, the background music and much more. Whether dining alone or at a dinner party, on a plane or in front of the TV, he reveals how to understand what we're tasting and influence what others experience. Mealtimes will genuinely never be the same again. 
 
'Truly accessible, entertaining and informative. On every page there are ideas to set you thinking and widen your horizons' - Heston Blumenthal, OBE 
 
'His delight in weird food facts is infectious...fascinating' - James McConnachie, Sunday Times 
 
'Gastrophysics is packed with such tasty factual morsels that could be served up at dinner parties. If Spence can percolate all these factual morsels to the mainstream, the benefits to all of us would be obvious' - Nick Curtis, Daily Telegraph 
 
'Spence allows people to appreciate the multisensory experience of eating' - New Yorker 
 
'The scientist changing the way we eat' - Guardian

Truly accessible, entertaining and informative. On every page there are ideas to set you thinking and widen your horizons

His delight in weird food facts is infectious...fascinating

Not many people are as ready to realize the importance of the senses as Charles Spence

Popular science at its best. Insightful, entertainingly written and peppered throughout with facts you can use in the kitchen, in the classroom, or in the pub

Daniel J. Levitin, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Organized Mind' and 'This Is Your Brain on Music'

This is partly serious tome and partly an amusing guide for the layperson to a whole new gustatory world. Gastrophysics is packed with such tasty factual morsels that could be served up at dinner parties. If Spence can percolate all these factual morsels to the mainstream, the benefits to all of us would be obvious

Spence allows people to appreciate the multisensory experience of eating

Spence romps around such factoids in the style of a Blue Peter presenter . . . fascinating and provocative

A fascinating look at the science of food and how our perception is shaped by all our senses, not just taste

If simply changing the name of a dish on a menu or the color of the plate on which it is served can dramatically alter our perception of taste and food quality, then everyone in the restaurant industry needs to read this and take a deeper look at the scientific secrets Professor Spence reveals in Gastrophysics

Larry Olmsted, New York Times bestselling author of 'Real Food, Fake Food: What You Don’t Know About What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It'

Wonderfully curious and thought-provoking . . . brilliant

Spence cheerily whisks the reader through the senses like a magician . . . a mind-bending menu of fascinating insights

Revealing, very interesting and well worth understanding . . . highly enlightening

Spence takes a jovial pleasure in puncturing our perceptions and showing that there's a lot more going on in our mouths than what we think we're tasting . . . Spence has given us much food for thought

A chatty whirl through the latest discoveries and their real-world applications

I wanted to reach out and thank you for your absolutely brilliant book Gastrophysics. As a thirty year restaurant veteran just venturing out on my own into the wild world of consulting, I found your research confirmed many of my long-held beliefs while adding tons of things I had never considered.

Sean S. Reiter, Chief Synthesist, Sean Reiter Consulting

It can't fail to entertain, inform and ultimately dazzle

Heston Blumenthal, chef and owner of The Fat Duck, on The Perfect Meal

Professor Charles Spence has spent the last two decades researching how people perceive the world around them at the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University, earning him the international reputation as the expert in multisensory perception and experience design. He has popularized the term 'gastrophysics', and leads the field in this ground-breaking area of science that is rapidly transforming the way in which we all experience what we eat and drink. He has consulted for many multinational companies, including Unilever, PepsiCo, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, P&amp;G, Nestlé and Twinings, advising on various aspects of multisensory design, packaging, and branding, and has conducted research with a number of world-leading chefs, mixologists and baristas, including Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià. In 2008 he was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for his ground-breaking work on the 'sonic crisp', demonstrating how a louder crunch makes a crisp seem fresher.

Why do we consume 35% more food when eating with one more person, and 75% more when with three? Why are 27% of drinks bought on aeroplanes tomato juice? How are chefs and companies planning to transform our dining experiences, and what can we learn from their cutting-edge insights to make memorable meals at home? 
 
These are just some of the ingredients of Gastrophysics, in which the pioneering Oxford professor Charles Spence shows how our senses link up in the most extraordinary ways, and reveals the importance of all the 'off-the-plate' elements of a meal: the weight of cutlery, the placing on the plate, the background music and much more. Whether dining alone or at a dinner party, on a plane or in front of the TV, he reveals how to understand what we're tasting and influence what others experience. Mealtimes will genuinely never be the same again.

Charles Spence

Spence does for the senses what Marie Kondo does for homes

Avery Gilbert, author of What the Nose Knows

Talks total sense, lots of fun facts, right up there with the best of the best

An extraordinary compendium of everything you need to know about how to cope with the hidden sensory overload of modern life, engagingly told

Robin Dunbar, author of How Many Friends Does One Person Need?

In Sensehacking, Charles Spence offers a whole new twist on what it means to 'make sense' of the world around us. Drawing on his renowned expertise in the field of crossmodal science, Professor Spence shares a wealth of insights and practical tips that will help you improve your social, cognitive and emotional well-being through sensory stimulation and management

Steve Keller, Sonic Strategy Director, Studio Resonate at Pandora

Charles Spence draws on his wealth of experience to provide insights into how our senses are interwoven in every aspect of our lives. Spence shows how sensehacking - which he defines as 'using the power of the senses, and sensory stimulation, to help improve our social, cognitive and emotional well-being' - is all around us. In addition to practical suggestions for enriching our own lives, Sensehacking provides unsettling insights into how commercial interests are manipulating our perceptions and behaviour. This book will shed light on much that goes unnoticed, and is especially timely in these pandemic times.

Wonderfully curious and thought-provoking . . . brilliant

Daniel Levitin, NYT bestselling author of This Is Your Brain on Music, on Gastrophysics

A fascinating read. Given how pervasive technology has become, the way we relate to our senses could be the most crucial element in creating environments that are conducive to emotional and cognitive well-being. The science shows how we should evolve from an audiovisual dominated world, to one that caters mindfully to all our senses

Charles Michel, Chef-in-residence at the Crossmodal Research Laboratory, University of Oxford

Charles Spence is the paragon of the transdisciplinary scholar, a Renaissance man for the digital age. From his base at the Crossmodal Research Lab at Oxford, Professor Spence moves comfortably beyond the confines of experimental psychology and across the disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, design art and industry, while also crossing or merging the senses. Sensehacking is a tour de force of the sensory studies literature, a synthesis without equal. This book contains lots of helpful tips about how to use your senses to lead a healthier, happier life (and insights into how designers and marketers are only too happy to arrange your senses for you in the interests of moving merchandise), but it above all concerns "getting the sensory balance right." Rebalancing the senses and diverse sensations relative to each other is vital to our cognitive, emotional and social well-being, so do get hacking by reading this book from the finest and most innovative multisensory (and intersensory) mind of our times

David Howes, author of The Sensory Studies Manifesto

Exceedingly appealing . . . promises to make us feel happier, relaxed, more focused and productive, and improve sleep and perception

How to Use the Power of Your Senses for Happier, Healthier Living

How can the furniture in your home affect your wellbeing? What colour clothing will help you play sport better? And what simple trick will calm you after a tense day at work? In this revelatory book, pioneering and entertaining Oxford professor Charles Spence shows how our senses change how we think and feel, and how by 'hacking' them we can reduce stress, become more productive and be happier. 
 
We like to think of ourselves as rational beings, and yet it's the scent of expensive face cream that removes wrinkles (temporarily), a room actually feels warmer if you use a warmer paint colour, and the noise of the crowd really does affect the referee's decision. Understanding how our senses interact can produce incredible results. This is popular science at its unbelievable best.

Charles Spence

Praise for Sensehacking

Spence does for the senses what Marie Kondo does for homes

Talks total sense, lots of fun facts, right up there with the best of the best

An extraordinary compendium of everything you need to know about how to cope with the hidden sensory overload of modern life, engagingly told

Spence does for the senses what Marie Kondo does for homes

Talks total sense, lots of fun facts, right up there with the best of the best

An extraordinary compendium of everything you need to know about how to cope with the hidden sensory overload of modern life, engagingly told

Spence does for the senses what Marie Kondo does for homes

Talks total sense, lots of fun facts, right up there with the best of the best

An extraordinary compendium of everything you need to know about how to cope with the hidden sensory overload of modern life, engagingly told

Books by Charles Spence

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