Susan Blackmore has written an excellent book dealing with one of the most challenging problems confronting human kind as we enter the 21st century: What is consciousness and how do we explain it. The book examines consciousness from myriad viewpoints;philosophical, psychological, and biological. Ms. Blackmore presents a plethora of fascinating topics such as:What is it like to be a bat?,What are we actually seeing?,What is it like to be an animal?,Could a machine be conscious?, What are the neural correlates of consciousness?, How do we distinguish between reality and imagination?, and, finally, How are Buddhism and consciousness related?

All the key players involved in the study of consciousness such as Renes Descartes, David Chalmers, Patricia Churchland, Daniel Dennett, Alan Turing,Francis Crick, Roger Penrose, John Eccles, etc. are found in this wonderful book.

Each chapter contains profiles, concepts, activities, and practices,and readings. The references are excellent. And Ms. Blackmore writes in clear, concise prose.

If you have ever wondered what consciousness may be, then this is the book for you whether you plan to use it for a college course or simply read it yourself. This is a great and fun read! Don't delay; buy a copy today and the price is right!!!

Not easy reading but understandable to some extend.

My professor made us buy this book, and we never used it. The class was okay, and when I peered inside the book, it seemed like simple reading. So I'm not really sure.

Best, most fascinating textbook I have ever read. Textbooks are boring right? Not this one. And I loved the cartoon images drawn by her son.

Blackmore provides a readable, comprehensive introduction to the field. A great book for getting grounded in philosophy of consciousness.

very nice book

Outstanding book!

I found this book to be disappointing. Although it provides a decent summary of past research into human consciousness, the author clearly is biased towards a materialistic view on the topic. New and fresh theories are discussed sparingly, briefly and without much enthousiasm. The author doesn't formulate bald answers to the big questions herself. And there was this strange phrase: "There probably are no paranormal phenomena. (...) if psi exists it is an extremely weak effect". It is like saying: "The world probably isn't round, but if it is, its curve is extremely flat". Apart from the fact that there is abundant evidence proving that paranormal phenomena do exist, the seeming weakness of an effect doesn't make the effect itself less profound.

Martijn

Ooooh! This will really get you thinking about all sorts of things. Like, when exactly do you truly consciously make a decision to get off the toilet seat (try it next time!).

A brilliant book that can be picked up at any point and still remain comprehensible.

Definitely one for the shelf!

Fab

I enjoyed the read, it was written in an understandable way, this it made for easy reading. It has increased my interest in the subject of Consciousness and I would recommend it to anyone with a similar interest.