Self Comes to Mind

Constructing the Conscious Brain

By: Antonio Damasio

Narrated by: Fred Stella

Self Comes to Mind is a nuanced and original chronicle of the evolution of the human brain. It reveals how the brain's development of a self becomes a challenge to nature's indifference and opens the way for the appearance of culture, a radical break in the course of evolution.

Damasio views brain development through the lens of biological evolution - starting with the simplest organisms that exhibit elaborate life regulation devices but do not require brains. The arrival of neurons, possessed of the unique ability to transmit and receive messages, allows neurons to organize themselves in complex circuits and networks, networks that serve to represent events occurring in the body, influence the function of other cells, even their own function. In this framework, the distinction between body and brain is blurred - the neurons that make up the brain and eventually generate the mind are body cells and are perpetually connected to the body.

Neurons are the producers of mind states. And in the increasing complexity of the patterns in which neurons organize themselves is to be found at once the mystery and the clues to the myriad ways in which the brain operates.

The systems of neurons that govern life in the interior of a body - the process of homeostasis - are first assisted by reflex-like dispositions, and eventually by images, the basic ingredient of minds. But the flexibility and creativity of the human mind do not emerge from images alone. They require images to create a protagonist, a self capable of reflection. Once self comes to mind, the devices of reward and punishment, drives and motivations, and emotions can be controlled by an autobiographical self, capable of personal reflection and deliberation. The reflective self becomes a rebellious apprentice to nature's indifferent sorcerer. It uses expanded memory, language, and reasoning to create the very possibility of culture.

©2010 Antonio Damasio (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Exquisite… Readers fascinated from both a philosophical and scientific perspective with the question of the relationship among brain, mind, and self will be rewarded." ( Publishers Weekly)

Another successful Damasio explanation of a complex Brain function

I always enjoy listening to Damasio’s mind work, even when he delves into details of the inner workings of the Brain far beyond my understanding. This book is another example of that experience.

His description of the role of the neuron in the evolution of the Human Brain and ultimately the autobiographical Self, while a little dense for the layman, becomes clear with a couple of careful readings. I admit that it can be slow going but the process that took place over Millennia to tie mental functions to physical, biological ones is incredibly complex.

There are definitely chapters that were more detailed than this reader needed but I found the overall theory that he proposed very convincing. Four stars. Thank you Antonio! ****

Hard to get one’s head around

This is a complex book. I had to listen to it many times and got more out of it on each pass. The author addresses the topic of consciousness. The topic is addresses starting with basic physico-chemical and biological principles such as homeostasis. At times the explanations drift into philosophy and broaden out to social organization. There are is adequate use of analogy and the material should be accessible to non scientists.

I highly recommend this book to persons with college degrees in physical, natural or social sciences.

grade school science

Way too simplistic. Found it painful to listen even with many fast forwards. i was expecting some new information.

Not quite an answer to the questions it raises

If you are not already familiar with Damasio's work, this is a great introduction, and one that does a solid, concise job of covering both basic concepts and neurophysiological details. He does a terrific job of closing some of the gaps in previous accounts of how intentional decision making and reasoning work, but his goal of explaining how self comes to mind is unreached. What David Chalmers calls the Really Hard Problem of consciousness remains a "smooth-walled mystery," as Patricia Churchland would put it -- there are no handholds here. If you want a good functional account of how self works, however, this is a great read.

Want to Understand Consciousness?

If you read Descartes’ Error, then you already know what Antonio Damasio can do with technical and philosophical material. In Self Comes to Mind, he applies current neuroscience to the area of human consciousness. Along the way, the reader is introduced to what that research is saying about how we think, provides new insights into history and the development of art and culture. Yes, there are some technical terms here, but nothing that the novice cannot understand. Professionally trained individuals may find fault with portions of the book. This is not the only book which the interested amateur will be reading. However, it is just enough to help the uninitiated a basic of understanding of human consciousness. Antonio Damasio has done a beautiful job. The reading of Fred Stella is good.

insightful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

opens up the mind to think in new direction. Lots of technical details on brain and neuroscience, i sometimes felt the need to have a written copy so that i can refer the text themselves and do some further reading.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Maybe some more real life example, some drama

Have you listened to any of Fred Stella’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes, very good

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no, it is a technical book. It wonder!! and Wows! not laugh or cry.

Any additional comments?

Tony Damasio is genius.

Great Book. Dumbed Down Performance

I just can’t listen to an important work being read as though to a five year old at bed time. I tried.

Elegant science and exposition.

Damasio does a good job of balancing scientific detail and readability. He is a world leader in the field. Good narration as well,

Fascinating

Very interesting explanation for the synthesis of human consciousness and the elements responsive for memories and feelings. A very good read.

Some important and amazing stuff in this book!

I can’t imagine a better author to take this subject matter on.

Damasio’s offerings about the genesis of the conscious self are both comprehensive and remarkably clever. He offers lots of justifications for why we construct our sense of self the way we do. Those justifications and explanations seem to arrive at the perfect time in the dialog. It seems Damasio knows and anticipates the readers reaction to each of the new cutting-edge assemblage he creates for us. Just as my mind would stall with one of those - “Yeah, OK, but what about … ?”, he anticipates and addresses my ego's reactive inquiry in the very next paragraph. I found that to be very thoughtful and considerate in a technical publication. It went a long way to keep my ego out of defensive mode and in a more focused learning mode.

I must admit that I did choke on a few of his choices of very large compound words, some of his own design, in a gratuitous fashion. “I get it Antonio, you’re brilliant… now stop it [Smack], I don’t need any extra sizzle from you, I’m totally here for the steak my friend.”

The book is dense with technical content which was useful, delightful and challenging at times. It’s the type of challenge that gives me that feeling of accomplishment when I discover something I could not conceive of before. So it was all good. There were some noticeable places where the narrator was not entirely grasping what he was reading. He would place emphasis on the wrong part of a phrase and I had to play it over in my head several ways with different emphasis before it made sense in context.

I would imagine this book will become a very important body of work as more and more people realize the value in knowing how their own, and each other’s stuff works “under the hood”. 5 Stars by a mile. Thank You Mr. Damasio!