Being You

A New Science of Consciousness

By: Anil Seth

Narrated by: Anil Seth

A GUARDIAN, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, FINANCIAL TIMES AND BLOOMBERG BOOK OF THE YEAR

'I loved it.' MICHAEL POLLAN
'Fascinating.' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Awe-inspring.' NEW STATESMAN
'Brilliant.' CLAIRE TOMALIN, NEW YORK TIMES
'A brilliant beast of a book.' DAVID BYRNE
'Hugely important.' JIM AL-KHALILI
'Gripping.' ALEX GARLAND
'Masterly . . . Vast-ranging, phenomenal.' GAIA VINCE, GUARDIAN

Anil Seth's radical new theory of consciousness challenges our understanding of perception and reality, doing for brain science what Dawkins did for evolutionary biology.

Being You is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. His unique theory of what it means to 'be you' challenges our understanding of perception and reality and it turns what you thought you knew about yourself on its head.

'Seth thinks clearly and sharply on one of the hardest problems of science and philosophy, cutting through weeds with a scientist's mind and a storyteller's skill.'
ADAM RUTHERFORD

'A page-turner and a mind-blower . . . Beautifully written, crystal clear, deeply insightful.'
DAVID EAGLEMAN

'If you read one book about conciousness, it must be Seth's.
JULIAN BAGGINI, WALL STREET JOURNAL

©2021 Faber & Faber (P)2021 Faber & Faber

Critic reviews

"Anil Seth thinks clearly and sharply on one of the hardest problems of science and philosophy, cutting through weeds with a scientist's mind and a storyteller's skill." (Adam Rutherford)

"Seth provokes us to think about thinking...readable, relatable and gripping." (Alex Garland, director of Ex Machina)

"Offers a new cause for astonishment and wonder...a must-read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the brain and how nature sculpts the human experience." (Annaka Harris, author of Conscious)

Incrível

Excelente , fácil de ler, proporção correta de ciência e histórias ; conteúdo essencial para quem quer entender melhor conceitos atuais científicos sobre o que é a consciência .

Great book on a very imp topic!

This is the best book I've yet read in the topic of consciousness. Wealth of information. The foundations and the main theories are excellently explained. I'm having a fascinating intellectual journey with the concepts. After finishing the audiobook, I often try to observe my consciousness, perceived reality, thoughts and emotions, as well as others' through these paradigms! The theater of conscious self and agency is very strong, complex, mysterious and wonderful! Great work Anil Seth!

Not an easy read!

I think the topic of the book, what is conciousness, is interesting and obviously also quite complicated. But I also felt I was in over my head as much of the stuff was hard to comprehend and required more focus than what I gave it.
But I'm glad I completed it as it gave me some knowledge e.g. on octopussies and how they 'work'. Also interesting is the perspective on AI and conciousness.

Unforgettable

The book was gripping, and immediately corrected my mistaken view that nothing significant in the field had been done in the past 20 years. The presentation was careful and methodical but clear, literate and compelling. And above all reflecting the author's scientific experience while requiring no specific scientific background but never resorting to vague descriptions. I hold a doctorate in applied mathematics but have not until now been fascinated by neuroscience and a study of what consciousness is all about. I would love to have one-on-one discussions with Prof. Seth hoping that I might be able to offer specific ideas or suggestions. I recommend the book to anyone with a keen and curious intellect!

Very interesting book and theory

Seth is one of the leading researchers in consciousness studies and outlines here his theory of consciousness. As a researcher in a related field it was very interesting for me to hear about his ideas and theory, however not sure how easy to follow it would be (at least at some points), and to understand the depths of it, if it's the first book anyone reads on the topic. His personal stories are described skillfully and nicely demonstrate some of the ideas presented. Overall it was a very interesting read that made me want to learn more about his theory.
Also, Seth does an excellent job in narrating his book.