I have been interested in how our brain creates consciousness for a long time. This book offers a new perspective. Before I decide to buy a book I usually listen to a few podcasts with the author. For this book, I thought the Tim Ferris episode was pretty good: link (you can skip to minute 8:00 where the conversation actually starts).
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease
The author of this book, Daniel Lieberman, is a professor at Harvard. First I heard about him while looking into barefoot running a few years ago. I really like this book about how the human body evolved and adapted. I even wrote a blog post.
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
It is a fascinating book about the subconscious processing of information in the brain. In my opinion this is more important than understanding consciousness.
Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind
This is an amazing book about the predictive processing theory. Andy Clark has been working on this theory for many years. He makes a very compelling case, but it is quite a hard read for people who are unfamiliar with the field. It took me a while to read it.
The last paragraph of the book is a good summary:
"The brain thus revealed is a restless, pro-active organ locked in dense, continuous exchange with body and world. Thus equipped we encounter, through the play of self-predicted sensory stimulation, a world of meaning, structure, and opportunity: a world parsed for action, pregnant with future, and patterned by the past."
The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living
This is a book advertised as written by Dalai Lama. Actually it is written by Howard Cutler (an American psychiatrist) and it is based on his discussions with Dalai Lama. I wanted to see a different perspective about life in general and this book more than delivers. Dalai Lama is a very thoughtful person. In the western world we try to understand the causes of psychological conditions. Dalai Lama thinks that it does not matter who "shot the arrow", just fix it. He promotes the development of the mind and techniques to improve clarity and happiness. He has some really good points on hatred and the fact that negative emotions are bad for everybody, the person who has them and the surrounding people.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
This book is a fascinating read about Elon Musk. It follows his life from childhood to the current success at SpaceX and Tesla. It is amazing how smart and hard working he is. But this also comes with pushing other people to their limits. A quote from the book: "The guiding principle at SpaceX is to embrace your work and get stuff done. People who await guidance or detailed instructions languish. The same goes for workers who crave feedback. And the absolute worst thing that someone can do is inform Musk that what he’s asking is impossible. An employee could be telling Musk that there’s no way to get the cost on something like that actuator down to where he wants it or that there is simply not enough time to build a part by Musk’s deadline. “Elon will say, ‘Fine. You’re off the project, and I am now the CEO of the project. I will do your job and be CEO of two companies at the same time. I will deliver it,’” Brogan said. “What’s crazy is that Elon actually does it. Every time he’s fired someone and taken their job, he’s delivered on whatever the project was”
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
This is really a thoughtful book about artificial intelligence (AI). It describes the possible pathways for achieving AI and the possible dangers of AI. Many ideas from dystopian sci-fi movies and shows (think Black Mirror) are in this book. It is a recommended reading for anybody interested in the future.
