Hondana
Being You
By Anil Seth
Faber & Faber
Description
A BOOK OF THE YEAR
GUARDIAN , THE ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, FINANCIAL TIMES, BLOOMBERG
Anil Seth's radical new theory of consciousness challenges our understanding of perception and reality, doing for brain science what Dawkins did for evolutionary biology.
'A brilliant beast of a book.' DAVID BYRNE
'Hugely important.' JIM AL-KHALILI
'Masterly . . . An exhilarating book: a vast-ranging, phenomenal achievement that will undoubtedly become a seminal text.'
GAIA VINCE, GUARDIAN
Being You is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. His unique theory of what it means to 'be you' challenges our understanding of perception and reality and it turns what you thought you knew about yourself on its head.
'Seth thinks clearly and sharply on one of the hardest problems of science and philosophy, cutting through weeds with a scientist's mind and a storyteller's skill.'
ADAM RUTHERFORD
'A page-turner and a mind-blower . . . Beautifully written, crystal clear, deeply insightful.'
DAVID EAGLEMAN
'If you read one book about conciousness, it must be Seth's.
JULIAN BAGGINI, WALL STREET JOURNAL
'Gripping.' ALEX GARLAND
'I loved it.' MICHAEL POLLAN
'Fascinating.' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Awe-inspring.' NEW STATESMAN
'Brilliant.' CLAIRE TOMALIN, NEW YORK TIMES
Summary by AI
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth
Author's Background:
- Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex
- Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science
Main Theme:
- Explores the nature of consciousness and how it arises from the brain's activity
Key Points:
- Predictive Processing Theory: Consciousness is a process of making predictions about the world and updating them based on sensory input.
- The Self as a Model: Our sense of self is a constantly updated model that integrates information from our body, environment, and past experiences.
- The Illusion of Free Will: Our conscious decisions are not fully free but are influenced by unconscious processes.
- The Importance of Embodiment: Our physical bodies play a crucial role in shaping our consciousness.
- The Role of Psychedelics: Psychedelic drugs can alter consciousness by disrupting the brain's predictive processing mechanisms.
Reputation:
- Positive:
- Praised for its clear and engaging writing style
- Provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on consciousness
- Negative:
- Some critics argue that the book oversimplifies the complexity of consciousness
- Others question the validity of the predictive processing theory
Who Should Read It:
- Anyone interested in the nature of consciousness
- Scientists, philosophers, and psychologists
- Individuals seeking a deeper understanding of their own minds
Readers
