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Natural Intelligence and the Logic of Consciousness
- Author
- Antonio Damasio
- Narrator
- Julian Morris
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date
- 17 September 2026
- Run Time
- 5 hours 16 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
The age-old mystery of consciousness - our capacity to experience our own existence and have a sense of ourselves - remains unsolved despite the extensive efforts of neurobiologists and philosophers. What if the secret to consciousness lies not in abstract thought, but in the very feelings that pulse beneath our awareness?
In this groundbreaking work, renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio overturns centuries of thinking about consciousness by demonstrating how it emerges not from the highest functions of the brain but from the humble functions of the nervous system. Damasio shares his cutting-edge research on human neurology and psychology, and explains how brain, mind and body come together to generate consciousness.
He explores the profound implications for understanding human creativity, morality and culture - and confronts the existential questions raised by the extraordinary new capabilities of artificial intelligence, in an impassioned defence of human consciousness as a unique force which must be understood and valued if we are to progress as a society.
Critics Review
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Antonio Damasio succeeds in revealing one of the great mysteries of our age: how consciousness came to be. He explores its making, from sensing to feeling, from natural intelligence to homeostatic feeling, to the precursor for everything we invent, know, experience and theorise. Through consciousness the material and immaterial are one; through consciousness we understand ourselves. This is not only a significant book. This book is a victory for our species
Yo-Yo Ma
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It's hard to fathom how much is brilliantly packed into this slim volume. It's like sneaking into one of Damasio's legendary lectures and having the world of the mind, of the body, of consciousness, and experience explained to us in lucid, vivid, wonderfully voiced detail
Jorie Graham, author of 'To 2040'
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While "brain" and "mind" have become legitimate topics for scientific examination, we've long looked to artists and philosophers to illuminate "feelings" and "consciousness." Antonio Damasio's book presents a powerful scientific framework that persuasively encompasses these enigmatic realms
Howard Gardner, author of 'Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences'
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Before presenting his current perspective on consciousness, Antonio Damasio occupied a prominent place in the history of the neurosciences. With his new work on consciousness, however, Damasio enters the history of science, tout court
Asier Arias Domínguez, Philosopher, Complutense University of Madrid
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A very readable overview of the thoughts of a unique scientist who has made us rethink consciousness, cognition and self-awareness
Wall Street Journal
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A bold reimagination of what makes us sentient
Adam Grant, Granted substack
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Offers fascinating insights on what the evolution of human consciousness reveals about the development of fields like art, philosophy, and politics. . . . An ambitious and intriguing . . . take on what makes humans human
Publishers Weekly
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Damasio's conversational and occasionally playful style makes complex neuroscience accessible to nonexperts, particularly those with backgrounds in the social sciences and liberal arts... Damasio's expertise and clear prose make this an essential addition to both public and academic libraries. It is recommended for readers interested in, or whose research intersects with, psychology, philosophy and the ethical boundaries of technology
Library Journal
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An ambitious exploration of the origins of human consciousness... Damasio combines science and philosophy to examine what makes us uniquely human
Alta
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As artificial minds and embodied robots reshape debates over the essence of humanity, Damasio's probe into the physical roots of consciousness feels especially timely... The book joins accessibility with rigour [in a] captivating inquiry
Kirkus
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Damasio has shifted the burden of proof. Any theory that tries to explain consciousness while ignoring vulnerability, self-concern and the body's ceaseless conversation with the brain now looks conspicuously incomplete. He may not have solved consciousness conclusively, but he has successfully granted the mystery a body and a pulse
New York Times
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Antonio Damasio
- Narrator
- Julian Morris
- Duration
- 5 hours 16 minutes
- Release Date
- 17 September 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405563291
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Genre
- Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, Neurosciences, Evolution / Evolutionary biology, Popular science, Physiological psychology, neuropsychology, biopsychology, Developmental neuroscience
Synopsis
A masterful synthesis of neuroscience, philosophy and evolutionary biology, this book transforms how we understand what it means to be conscious, alive and human, and how that differs from artifical intelligence.The age-old mystery of consciousness - our capacity to experience our own existence and have a sense of ourselves - remains unsolved despite the extensive efforts of neurobiologists and philosophers. What if the secret to consciousness lies not in abstract thought, but in the very feelings that pulse beneath our awareness?In this groundbreaking work, renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio overturns centuries of thinking about consciousness by demonstrating how it emerges not from the highest functions of the brain but from the humble functions of the nervous system. Damasio shares his cutting-edge research on human neurology and psychology, and explains how brain, mind and body come together to generate consciousness.He explores the profound implications for understanding human creativity, morality and culture - and confronts the existential questions raised by the extraordinary new capabilities of artificial intelligence, in an impassioned defence of human consciousness as a unique force which must be understood and valued if we are to progress as a society.
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