Elements of Surprise: Our Mental Limits and the Satisfactions of Plot, written by Vera Tobin, associate professor of cognitive science, is one of this year’s five shortlisted nominees for the Christian Gauss Award. Tobin’s book was published by Harvard University Press.
The Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award celebrates outstanding books in the field of literary scholarship or criticism. Finalists and award-winning authors are selected by a panel of experts in each category. Award-winning authors will each receive a $10,000 prize at a celebratory dinner event in Washington, D.C. in December 2019.