Enlightened Eye, The: Qualitative Inquiry and the Enhancement of Educational Practice

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Summary: The beauty of written language and the power of words.
Review: Designed as a text for education courses, The Enlightened Eye should be on everyone's reading list. The power of the author, Elliot Eisner, to convey ideas that are normally limited to esoteric "research" courses, and the "elite" graduate students who inhabit that world, is remarkable and refreshing. Through artistic and poetic imagery, the author transports the reader to a world of knowing that lies at the heart of connoisseur-ship and critical inquiry. Through a lens that distinguishes between seeing and looking we embark on a journey of discovery -- a journey that begins and ends in the qualities of our everyday experience. In sum, Elliot Eisner, provides a vehicle that guides us through the processes of decoding and encoding the meanings attached to "experience," including the objects that reside in that experience. It is a book that is a pleasure to read because the author writes well, seduces the reader, and provides opportunities for serious reflection. In sum, Elliot Eisner takes us on a qualitative journey discovery, through which we uncover the qualities of our life and our society. Buy it. Read it. Savor it.