Making Sense

Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity

By: Sam Harris

Narrated by: Sam Harris, David Chalmers, David Deutsch, Anil Seth, Thomas Metzinger, Timothy Snyder, Glenn C. Loury, Robert Sapolsky, Daniel Kahneman, Nick Bostrom, David Krakauer, Max Tegmark

Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of Waking Up and The End of Faith, a collection of the best conversations from his wildly popular, often controversial podcast, Making Sense.

“Civilization rests on a series of successful conversations.” —Sam Harris

Sam Harris—neuroscientist, philosopher, and bestselling author—has been exploring some of the most important questions about the human mind, society, and current events on his podcast, Making Sense. With over one million downloads per episode, these discussions have clearly hit a nerve, frequently walking a tightrope where either host or guest—and sometimes both—lose their footing, but always in search of a greater understanding of the world in which we live. For Harris, honest conversation, no matter how difficult or controversial, represents the only path to moral and intellectual progress.

The Making Sense audiobook includes talks with Daniel Kahneman, Timothy Snyder, Nick Bostrom, and Glen Loury, on topics that range from the nature of consciousness and free will, to politics and extremism, to living ethically. Together they shine a light on what it means to “make sense” in the modern world.

©2020 Sam Harris (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent work

After listening to this I can only give this my highest praise: It made me think.

Superb!

The conversations in this are excellent choices for this audiobook. The depth of mental stimulation I get from these is top notch.

Makes you question reality

Great conversations with some of the best minds of our current times. Philosophy meets scientist. Question everything we know, without losing sight of what we currently know regarding science. Definitely worth checking it out.

Wide Net

Great way to sample a wide variety of ideas under a complex topic. Some obvious bias in some of the discussion, but he freely acknowledges it.

It’s not a real book, but it more than makes up for it in value!

Sam Harris is uniquely gifted at conducting a podcast. He knows when to let the guest speak and also allows himself to add significant value to the conversation, making it more interesting and understandable at the same time. In many podcasts the host is usually too egocentric, making the conversation about themselves, or too inquisitive, leaving little space for a genuine, double sided conversation where depth is added from both parties.

Also, the topics discussed are fascinating!

The world never made better sense to me

I couldn’t think of any other book that make me think a whole different way that I never had before. I am fortunate to get to know many brilliant minds and their work. I couldn’t appreciate more for you guys. Jaagi from Mongolia.

Fascinating and scary look at intelligence

This book (podcast) brought in experts from many facets life, technology, social sciences, and futurists. It covers historical, current,and future topics of man (referred to as an ape), and our connection with information, consciousness, and abilities through each of these epochs. I enjoyed listening, and I hope our planet is getting ready for what is to come.

Conversations unavailable elsewhere?

If such conversations are available elsewhere I would do there as I did here -- I'd immediately pay the entrance fee.

A Best Of

It’s not hard to figure out what you’re getting here. If you like Harris’ free podcast - this is the best of it. I so enjoy learning about consciousness. It is perhaps the ultimate topic. Harris comes out swinging with the first interview with David Chalmers and the concepts evolve from there.

Great discussions. Great thinkers.

A bit too mechanistic,reductionist,and not mindful of some fundamental biological differences that distinguish life from other forms of information and processes.