Overview

Rita Carter ponders the nature, origins, and purpose of consciousness in this fascinating inquiry into the toughest problem facing modern science and philosophy. Building on the foundation of her bestselling book Mapping the Mind, she considers whether consciousness is merely an illusion, a by-product of our brain's workings, some as yet inexplicable feature or property of the material universe or--as the latest physics may suggest--the very fundament of reality. Little, she discovers, is as it first seems. Carter draws from a solid body of knowledge--empirical findings and theoretical hypotheses--about consciousness, much of it derived from recent discoveries about the brain. Her lively, accessible narrative ranges widely over new ways of thinking about the subject and what direction new research is taking. Leading scholars from a range of perspectives provide topical essays that complement Carter's account. The book also discusses how traditional approaches--philosophical, scientific, and experiential--might be brought together to create a more complete understanding of consciousness.

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9780520243255

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Reviews

An excellent introduction for those who want to glimpse the state of play. The book is glossy, richly illustrated and enthusiastic - a welcoming text for a difficult subject.... A very faithful reflection of the state of mind science. - John McCrone, The Guardian; [Carter] is an award-winning scientific journalist who conveys a real sense of excitement.... The sheer scope of Carter's project is stunning and she handles her material with style and confidence, addressing a broad range of topics in the space of a few hundred pages.... Carter is to be congratulated for her clear journalistic exposition of some key ideas and for avoiding pomposity and arrogance. - Nature; Through accounts of thought experiments and laboratory studies, Carter gives us a sense of how eerie consciousness really is...[and] offers us a ghost story that also turns out to be a whodunit. - American Scientist. In a breezy and clear style, Carter provides a broad, lucid survey of most of the Interesting ideas and people involved in the trendy field of consciousness research, pulling together many disparate philosophical and scientific views. - John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind; A treasure trove of fact, argument and opinion, doing an excellent job of conveying both research and controversies. The general reader will find it filled with stimulating material, and it makes a fine textbook for consciousness studies. - New Scientist

Author Information

Rita Carter is a science writer whose work has appeared in, among other publications, The New York Times, Washington Post, New Scientist, and Daily Telegraph. She has twice been awarded the Medical Journalists' Association prize for outstanding contributions to medical journalism. Her first book, Mapping the Mind, was shortlisted for the Rhone-Poulenc science prize.

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