An anatomy of thought - Ian Glynn

One of the human brain?s most remarkable achievements is that it is able to investigate its own working. In An Anatomy of Thought, Ian Glynn takes full advantage of this facility to explain why the nature of consciousness is now much more of a mystery to science than the nature of life.

Assuming no specialized knowledge, Glynn demonstrates how it is that nerve cells in our eyes and ears, on our tongues, and on our finger tips (as well as many other places) are able to interact with our nerve cells in our brains to analyse situations, make decisions and remember past events. Drawing deeply on a dazzlingly wide array of disciplines ? physiology, neurology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics and philosophy ? he explains the nature of seeing, of language and of thought, in the process often telling us not only what is known but also how we have come to know it, and where, precisely, the gaps remain in our knowledge. In his concluding chapters, Glynn provides an account of recent attempts by philosophers to explain the relationship between mind and body, and explains why we possess free will and ethical responsibilities.

In its scope and ambition, and in the extraordinary range of the sciences on which it draws, An Anatomy of Thought is indispensable for anyone seeking a truly comprehensive and state-of-the-art understanding of what is still the most complex object in the known universe.