A scientific, historical, and practical exploration of that underappreciated sixth sense: balance - how it works (and fails), how it's perfected in different cultures, and what it can tell us about toddlers, tightrope walkers and dyslexics. Most of us take our sense of balance for granted - until we begin to lose it. In the past 30 years, however, new research - particularly studies of the brain - has finally revealed the remarkably intricate complexities of the human balance system and the critical part it plays in our physical health. Balance is the first book written for a general audience that examines the mysteries of the human balance system, including: why some researchers think Vincent Van Gogh may have suffered from Meniere's Disease; how a French physiologist first demonstrated a connection between balance and the inner ear with an experiment that caused pigeons to turn somersaults; why balance and cognitive skills seem to be interlinked, and how balance therapy is being used to treat kids with dyslexia and ADHD. Scott McCredie takes readers on a delightful quest to unlock the mysteries of the sixth sense.