Gilbert Peterson

Sidney Mazzi picks up the challenge presented by Scots poet Robbie Burns over 200 years ago: "Oh would some power the gift to give us, to see ourselves as others see us." What if the 'power' was an alien. and they were giving one of their own kind a masterclass on how to understand and otherwise interpret humans? Not to eat our brains or harm us physically, but rather to get to know what we are really like. What motivates us? Why do we do the things we do? Why do we think the way we think?. From the perspective of an alien mind Mazzi can ask strange sounding questions, and arrive at unexpected answers. iIs a fascinating and most unusual read, at times disconcerting, and with brief bouts of discomfort, but with the single aim of learning how we can get to know our own motivations and behaviours. The rewards are some startling insights on how we too can step outside ourselves in order to see ourselves all the more clearly.