Conversations on Consciousness

This is 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.