The Feeling of Life Itself

Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed

By: Christof Koch

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Psychologists study which cognitive operations underpin a given conscious perception. Neuroscientists track the neural correlates of consciousness in the brain, the organ of the mind. But why the brain and not, say, the liver? How can the brain, three pounds of highly excitable matter, a piece of furniture in the universe, subject to the same laws of physics as any other piece, give rise to subjective experience? Koch argues that what is needed to answer these questions is a quantitative theory that starts with experience and proceeds to the brain. In The Feeling of Life Itself, Koch outlines such a theory, based on integrated information.

Koch describes how the theory explains many facts about the neurology of consciousness and how it has been used to build a clinically useful consciousness meter. The theory predicts that many, and perhaps all, animals experience the sights and sounds of life; consciousness is much more widespread than conventionally assumed. Contrary to received wisdom, however, Koch argues that programmable computers will not have consciousness. Even a perfect software model of the brain is not conscious. Its simulation is fake consciousness. Consciousness is not a special type of computation - it is not a clever hack. Consciousness is about being.

©2019 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (P)2020 Tantor

Good Theory. Unsatisfying read.

I wanted very much to find this book valuable having just finished Alan Lightman’ Transcendent Brain in which he speaks highly of Koch’s Theory. And I did admire the essential discussion of his notion of his IIT of Consciousness being pervasive in all beings.

But I wanted him to write more of the Brain’s function in evoking Consciousness than he did, he concentrated too much on the Nuts and Bolts of Neuronal activity and not, at least for me, of his overall vision of Consciousness arising from that low-level activity.

For this reason I found the book unsatisfying though I like what I understand of his Theory. I have to give it only Three Stars but it was an enjoyable read. ***

Life is Amazing

Good overview of IIT and the theory of consciousness. The book gets rather complex in the later chapters and hard to listen to without the axillary picturea. The coda is the best, but I won't spoil it for you.

It explains the complexity of our brains but we should not stop trying to understand why.

I like the reader of the book. Sounds like he wrote it. I don't know if he didn't.

One of the great books on consciousness

I don't think information integration Theory is the final explanation of consciousness, but it is an important step along the way. this is one of the best books I've ever read on consciousness

Koch Fails Completely

This sloppy reckless galavanting through such important issues is a crying shame. Total waste of time this book; I recommend both not reading it and encouraging others to avoid it as well. Koch has no clue what consciousness is, or how it relates to the feeling of life.

Occult word salad

There are interesting observations in the book, but the "theory" itself is claptrap. Like an automatic mission statement generator applied to science.

Constant references to illustrations

Constant references to illustrations and figures without providing a pdf. Why take the time to read the book and provide an audio copy and not provide a simple pdf? This book constantly references visual depictions throughout the book. Very disappointing.

Where is the accompanying PDF!?

The book has several references to charts and visual references and yet it does not come with the accompanying reference material. Great book but the experience is made mediocre without the visual reference.