Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human

Succeeds in providing a very brief survey of the multitude of positions occupied by thinkers in this area.... The often quirky personalities and mannerisms of the interviewees shine through the text.... Blackmore herself comes across as spunky and clever, and the probing follow-up questions she occasionally asks prevent the interviews from seeming too repetitive and boring. --Nature

Susan Blackmore posed the question What is consciousness? to 21 leading scientists and philosophers who study consciousness for a living. It provokes all kinds of responses, ranging from jokes about psychedelic drugs to brow-furrowing discourses on life's meaning. -- Richard Lipkin, Scientific American

Are some scientists zombies? That is among the thoughts raised by this diverting collection of interviews with neurobiologists, philosophers and others engaged in the study of the mind...a very efficient overview of contemporary strands of thinking about its subject. --Steven Poole, Guardian Unlimited

Blackmore interrogates 20 mind-body experts--philosophers, neuroscientists, psychologists, and various hybrids. She doesn't stand on ceremony, is persistent, probing, honest about her puzzlements, and happy to defend her own views if the occasion arises, which once or twice creates a bit of friction. -- Tom Clark, Naturalism.org

One remarkable aspect of the consciousness research field is the lack of agreement on what the key subject matter should be. What is the phenomenon for which we need an explanation? Susan Blackmore begins with these questions in Conversations on Consciousness, a collection of interviews with 21 prominent scientists and philosophers. Their answers introduce the reader to some of the concepts and puzzles at the centre of this fieldConversations on Consciousness provides a casual and accessible introduction to the topic. Few topics are specifically detailed, but the empirical and philosophical work summarized in the book is fascinating and easy to read. --Ephraim Glick, EMBO Reports (a publication of the European Molecular Biology Organization)