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A review by roba
Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by António R. Damásio
3.0
I probably didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would because I was expecting more of the case-studies-of-brain-damaged-people-who-think they're ghosts/thought-experiments-about-teleported-clones book about selfhood and consciousness. But it actually involves quite a hardcore investigation of brain anatomy and how selves and consciousness might come into being.
Damasio clearly knows his brain onions and his idea that the self must be really firmly routed in homeostasis seems convincing (not that I have the knowledge to judge).
But the writing is a bit technical (for what I'm fairly sure is meant to be a pop science-level book) and sometimes even businessy (lots of things 'open the door to' other things) and not always especially clear. Particularly on this topic, I really prefer more distinctive writing like Paul Broks or Douglas Hofstadter.
And of course I'm constantly disappointed that none of these books answer the hard problem (of consciousness WTF???!???). Maybe I should start reading Deepak Chopra.
Damasio clearly knows his brain onions and his idea that the self must be really firmly routed in homeostasis seems convincing (not that I have the knowledge to judge).
But the writing is a bit technical (for what I'm fairly sure is meant to be a pop science-level book) and sometimes even businessy (lots of things 'open the door to' other things) and not always especially clear. Particularly on this topic, I really prefer more distinctive writing like Paul Broks or Douglas Hofstadter.
And of course I'm constantly disappointed that none of these books answer the hard problem (of consciousness WTF???!???). Maybe I should start reading Deepak Chopra.