Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts

Stanislas Dehaene

Jan 2014 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by David Drummond

About this audiobook

How does the brain generate a conscious thought? And why does so much of our knowledge remain unconscious? Thanks to clever psychological and brain-imaging experiments, scientists are closer to cracking this mystery than ever before. In this lively book, Stanislas Dehaene describes the pioneering work his lab and the labs of other cognitive neuroscientists worldwide have accomplished in defining, testing, and explaining the brain events behind a conscious state. We can now pin down the neurons that fire when a person reports becoming aware of a piece of information and understand the crucial role unconscious computations play in how we make decisions. The emerging theory enables a test of consciousness in animals, babies, and those with severe brain injuries. A joyous exploration of the mind and its thrilling complexities, Consciousness and the Brain will excite anyone who is interested in cutting-edge science and technology and the vast philosophical, personal, and ethical implications of finally quantifying consciousness.

Ratings and reviews

I loved this book, almost as much as I loved "Reading in the brain" by the same author. It assembles decades of cool research into a coherent point of view on consciousness. A must read!

About the author

Stanislas Dehaene is the director of the Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit in Saclay, France, and the author of Reading in the Brain.

David Drummond has narrated over seventy audiobooks for Tantor, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, from fantasy to military, and from thrillers to humor. He has garnered multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award nomination. Visit him at drummondvoice.com.