Publisher's Weekly Review
Human consciousness, as described by Bor, a neuroscientist and research fellow at the University of Sussex, is an evolutionary outgrowth of the brain's search for information and uncovering patterns in the world around us. He argues compellingly that this confers an evolutionary advantage and that "it evolved, like almost everything else in nature, in an incremental way." He goes on to explain the mechanisms the brain uses to increase its efficacy at this task, focusing most on the concept of chunking, or finding ways to bring coherence to a large amount of data. Though others have capably presented the relationship between brain and mind, and the functions of various portions of the brain, Bor does it so effectively that the material remains fresh. He explores how our brains differ both from computer programs and from other animals (such as apes, crows, and octopi) that are also self-aware. "Perhaps what most distinguishes us humans from the rest of the animal kingdom is our ravenous desire to find structure in the information we pick up in the world." Bor balances neuroscience with comparative biology, and philosophy with psychology while writing in a fully engaging conversational style. Agent: Peter Tallack, the Science Factory (U.K.). (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Choice Review
The Ravenous Brain tackles the subject of consciousness through a combination of the latest research, thought experiments, and extremely personal anecdotes from cognitive neuroscientist Bor (Univ. of Sussex, UK). This thought-provoking book proposes that the brain exhibits a voracious appetite for information and searches for structure through pattern identification and "chunking" (compressing data to maximize information). Bor lays the groundwork for his theory by first addressing philosophical considerations of consciousness before moving onto its evolutionary background. The line between consciousness and unconsciousness is next examined, followed by the neuroscience of awareness. The author then delves into nonhuman animal consciousness as well as disorders of consciousness due to profound brain injury and mental illness. Bor concludes with an epilogue that proclaims "the science of consciousness is coming of age" both generally and individually. The book contains numerous notes and references and nine questionably useful figures. Bor's conversational style is likely to intrigue scientists and nonscientists alike. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers. C. L. Iwema University of Pittsburgh