I've Been Thinking...

By: Daniel C. Dennett

Narrated by: Graham Winton

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

How unfair for one man to be blessed with such a torrent of stimulating thoughts. Stimulating is an understatement.—Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion

Daniel C. Dennett—preeminent philosopher and cognitive scientist—has spent his career creating the basis for a naturalistic account of consciousness with acumen and elegance. I’ve Been Thinking traces the development of Dennett’s own intellect and instructs us how we too can become good thinkers.

Dennett’s restless curiosity leads him from his childhood in Beirut to Harvard, and from Parisian jazz clubs to “tillosophy” on his tractor in Maine. Along the way, he reveals the breakthroughs and misjudgments that shaped his paradigm-shifting philosophies. Dennett introduces his legendary interlocutors—Douglas Hofstadter, Marvin Minsky, Willard Van Orman Quine, Gilbert Ryle, Richard Rorty, Thomas Nagel, John Searle, Gerald Edelman, Stephen Jay Gould, Jerry Fodor, and more—whose ideas, even when he disagreed with them, proved formative to his own convictions about the mind and consciousness. This memoir by one of the greatest minds of our time will speak to anyone who seeks to balance a life of the mind with adventure and creativity.

©2023 Daniel C. Dennett (P)2023 Recorded Books

Wit and Clarity

Writing with the wit and clarity of Mark Twain, Dennett chronicles his life in academia, philosophy, cognitive science, and sailing. His story is extraordinary. Lucky breaks, deep insights, hard work, and passion have come together over a long life to produce one of the towering thinkers of our time.

Excellent book. I learned a lot.

Listening enabled me to easily take notes about new information or things I wanted to research further. The reading was well done and enhanced my enjoyment.

great for Dennett fans

an enjoyable exploration of his life and events (but not his work in detail).
academics will probably like it even more

well done. wished for more.

I was interested in this unique life. I learned a lot about the life of this particular philosopher.

I learned about the workings of universities, how top people in the sciences and humanities get together and help each other, how this particular atheist lived his life. it is one thing to read someone's philosophy and another to see how they lived ....what they thought noteworthy enough to write about their life....and what they think useful to pass on to other people and society.

he had a meaningful and impactful life. an alternative life...even for a philosopher.


He tells of fascinating experiences he had. He tells of his victories. He seems slightly light on talking about mistakes he has made.

hearing what he did right gave me wisdom.

hearing of his enjoyment of helping others but still having lots of fun was inspiring. ....it's an example of how he thinks we should live.

I have read quite a few autobiographies and will put this in my favorites.

voice was excellent

Excellent memoir

What an interesting story and life. It's nice to learn about the life and the man behind the mind.

Name dropping at its most boring

The number of times he works ‘Harvard’ into first chapters is truly impressive. Harvard seems to have puked all over his self image. I was hoping to hear interesting stories which typically involve some unexpected revelations or thoughts. This story can be summarized as I met one person that has some relation to Harvard after another and did impressive things which I’ll duly list.

I stopped after several chapters so I don’t know if it got any more interesting than that.

Some pockets of wisdom but mostly self-gloating

I don't like the boastful humility tone. Lots of "I am this," "I did that," "I met this", "I had that."

Im not religious but it seems childish how he denigrates the "supers." It doesn't feel like criticism; more like hate.

He is a great thinker for sure but this autobiography doesn't give him — his works and his brilliance — justice.

Oh my gosh am I good!

And I have always been good! Pages & pages of Dan telling us just what an amazing person he has always been- leaving so little room for a usable insight. I'll ask for my money back, but I bet they won't.

Should have been called my name dropping book

A few good stories, but mostly boring as it is a list of names that I think only people who knew Daniel will be interested in to see if they are mentioned.

Is there a way to get money back?

I tried to listen, picked it up several times, I gave up, there’s nothing here about his thoughts, nothing to say what he’s been thinking.