Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist
With this masterful narrative of his life and science, Christof Koch has done for neuroscience what James D. Watson did for biology in his classic workThe Double Helix. At once engaging, informing, and enlightening, Consciousness should be read by every student and scientist of the mind, along with general readers who would like to know how science really works and how scientists really think -- and feel -- when they engage the world with their experimental tools. Destined to takes its place as a timeless masterpiece in the history of science.(Michael Shermer, Publisher ofSkepticmagazine; author ofThe Believing Brain)This is a strikingly charming and enlightening -- and even moving -- report from the front lines of the neurobiology of consciousness from one of our foremost authorities. It is a lucid account of the latest ideas about consciousness science together with their philosophical underpinnings, all in the context of a highly personal, emotional and intellectual autobiography that features to an extent that surprised me, Christof Koch's journey of rejection of religion and discovery of meaning in the universe.(Ned Block, Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, New York University)This is the book Christof Koch was born to write. An exuberant blend of science, wit, wisdom and autobiography, it brings the subject to life and shows why Koch has had such a profound influence on this exciting area of neuroscience.(Geraint Rees, Director, UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London)Koch weaves a vivid and poignant story, punctuated by fascinating characters and compelling science. The book will leave you with a small piece of Koch's own consciousness, plucked from his head and delivered into yours.(Science News)... [D]efinitely worth reading.... I argued with Koch all the way through this book. And I loved every minute of it.(Robert StickgoldNature)Pioneering consciousness studies requires a nimbly multiprocessing mind. That Koch possesses one is apparent.(Chronicle of Higher Education)Among the plethora of books on consciousness, this engaging blend of science, autobiography and honest self-reflection stands out. It combines a lucid description of the leading edge of consciousness science with a surprisingly personal and philosophical reflection of the author's life as one of its foremost authorities, shedding light on how scientists really think. Science writing at its best.(Anil SethTimes Higher Education)... [T]he book offers good rides through the wild forest of the neuroscience of consciousness. Koch is fearless, and does not shrink from talking about phenomenology and qualia; he includes them and tries to formalise consciousness by linking it to direct brain signals or well-defined psychological constructs.(Tristan BekinschteinTimes Higher Education)This new volume is attractive not only for the breadth and depth that is typical of Koch's writing, but also for its highly accessible nature.... This important book serves as a subtle introduction to many of the driving questions of the discipline that may well significantly change people's understanding of human nature.(Choice)