In a series of ground-breaking psychological experiments, volunteers were shown a 30-second film of a group of people playing basketball and told to count the number of passes made with the ball. After just a few seconds, a man dressed as a gorilla slowly walked into frame, beat his chest at the camera, and sauntered off. Unbelievably, almost none of the people watching the film noticed the gorilla. Exactly the same psychological mechanisms that cause people to miss the gorilla also make them miss unexpected but vitally important opportunities in their professional and personal lives. Richard Wiseman’s book outlines the scientific evidence and thinking behind this remarkable new phenomenon, and shows you how you can spot gorillas in your life - and what to do when you see one.

Click here to buy Did You Spot the Gorilla? from amazon.co.uk

Copies of the infamous 'gorilla' video can be purchased here.

Several writers and academics, including Edward de Bono, Charles Handy, and Prof Wiseman, were recently asked by the East of England 'Space for Ideas' campaign to contribute essays on creativity. To listen and read about their contributions, click here.

Forbes.com carries Prof. Wiseman's article on the psychology of opportunity here.