Books+Tech: The book cover that judges you

Whether we like it or not, we do judge books by their covers. But how would you feel if you were judged by a book? Well, someone thought about the same question and actually implemented a system to help find the answer. The Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker beautifully combined technology and books, creating a book cover that judges people … and it unlocks only when approached without any judgement.

How does it work? When a person gets close to the book, the face recognition system identifies his/her face and scans it for signs of “judgement”. If the person’s face shows an excited expression or a sceptical one, the book will stay locked. However, if the person’s face shows a neutral expression, without signs of judgement, the book will unlock itself.

Check out the website to see a video of the book in action.

I personally like the idea of this kind of project, as it raises awareness of how we (sometimes unconsciously) judge something or someone at first sight. I can think of countless examples of me wandering through bookstores and enthusiastically picking up books with pretty covers without knowing anything about the book itself. Fortunately, I’ve realized that it’s wiser to look for a second opinion before investing my time in reading books, and I rarely buy books out of impulse. However, when I decide to read a book, I still pick up the best-looking edition, even if I know that all editions contain the same story inside …

I want to hear your opinions! How much does the book cover matter to you?

Till’ next time … happy reading!

Georgiana

Source: The Cover That Judges You