Conversations on Consciousness

Susan Blackmore

Oxford University Press, UK, Nov 10, 2005 - Philosophy - 274 pages

Blackmore explores the big questions on the nature of brains, minds, and consciousness, through twenty lively and engaging interviews with some of the best-known personalities from the worlds of science and philosophy. - ;A delightful collection of interviews with 20 famous names in the study of consciousness. Sue Blackmore, herself a writer on consciousness, engages in conversation with each of these very different personalities, drawing out their views on the nature of the mind, on how what goes on in the network of neurons in the brain produces our vivid experiences, and whether we have free will. The collection includes interviews with such well-known names as Daniel Dennett, John Searle, David Chalmers, Francis Crick (the last interview he gave), V. Ramachandran, Roger Penrose, Richard Gregory, and Susan Greenfield. The interviews are conducted in an informal but focused style, bringing out the personality of each interviewee, and giving the reader a very accessible and readable introduction to their ideas, and to the central scientific and philosophical challenges involved in understanding the nature of mind and consciousness. - ;A great read for someone studying, or itnerested in the study of consciousness. - BBC Mindgames;Blackmore herself comes across as spunky and clever, and the probing follow-up questions she occasionally asks prevent the interviews from seeming too repetitive and boring. - Nature;"the book provides a very efficient overview of contemporary strands of thinking about its subject." - Steven Poole, The Guardian

What people are saying

Review: Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human

User Review  - Elisaúl Cordero - Goodreads

It's a very interesting book. I confess I had to struggle a lot while reading it, because I just started to familiarize myself with this subject. There were many things I couldn't understand at first ...

Review: Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human

User Review - Goodreads

I haven't read enough of it to feel I'm properly able to comment, but I had a hard time getting into it. I'd probably need to either know more about consciousness in all it's scientific, philosophical ...

About the author

Sue Blackmore is a freelance writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and Visiting Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Following a degree in psychology and physiology from Oxford University, she completed her doctorate in parapsychology at the University of Surrey. Herresearch interests include evolutionary theory, memes and the theory of memetics, and consciousness. She practices Zen. Her books include iThe Meme Machine/i (OUP, 1999) and iConsciousness: An Introduction/i (2003).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Conversations on Consciousness
• Author: Susan Blackmore
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, UK, 2005
• ISBN: 019280622X, 9780192806222
• Length: 274 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Mind & Body; Psychology / Cognitive Psychology