Ackerman structures her book as a tour of the five senses, starting with smell and ending with vision, before concluding with synesthesia. What is the effect of this progression? How does the order in which she presents the senses shape her overarching argument about human perception?

The guide identifies Helen Keller, who lacked hearing and vision, as a “prodigy” of perception. Analyze Ackerman’s portrayal of Keller. What does Keller’s life suggest about the adaptability of human consciousness?

How does Ackerman use historical examples to portray the senses as instruments of power, social connection, or personal identity?

Throughout the book, Ackerman argues that language is inadequate for describing direct sensory experience. How does her own lyrical and metaphorical prose attempt to solve the very problem she identifies? Use textual examples to evaluate the successes and limitations of her linguistic strategies.

The book’s final major topic is synesthesia, the blending of sensory pathways. Does this closing focus on The Interconnectedness of the Senses challenge the book’s structure of treating the senses in separate sections?

Ackerman frames our senses as artifacts of our evolutionary past, honed for survival. At the same time, she celebrates sensory experiences that seem purely aesthetic, such as appreciating perfume or music. Explore the relationship between the evolutionary utility of the senses and their capacity for creating art and pleasure.

Ackerman positions herself as a “sensuist” lamenting modern “sensory detachment.” Using the text, develop an argument about the social and cultural implications of her call to “return to feeling the textures of life” (xviii). To what extent is the “sensuist” lifestyle she champions a universally accessible ideal?

What role do non-human animals play in Ackerman’s efforts to define the boundaries of human perception?