CONSCIOUSNESS

Van Goethem, a professor of medical imaging and neuroimaging at Antwerp University, offers a general-interest overview of the phenomenon of human consciousness.

The author takes readers on a “speculative journey” into the nature of consciousness and the contours of what he calls “neural correlate,” which refers to areas of the human brain where distinct mental processes occur: “While some may contend that consciousness is merely a mirage in a universe composed solely of matter and energy,” the author writes, “the question persists: From where does this sophisticated illusion arise?” The book goes through various correlates, detailing the nature, location, and functions of each, noting that “there is no single region in the brain’s cortex that is the anatomical seat of consciousness.” Each chapter is broken into conveniently smaller sections, complete with bullet points, and Van Goethem doesn’t forget the question of the “sophisticated illusion”; he devotes some time to an attempt at determining whether consciousness is, in fact, a figment of the imagination—a weird ghost in the machine of evolutionary biology. Along the way, the author clearly lays out his dissection of the workings of the brain, and each section reaches toward the central mystery of what consciousness is, how it functions, and how it changes over time and under specific physical conditions. Van Goethem’s book has clear black-and-white figures and diagrams, but, in this instance, they’re secondary to the author’s own fantastic talent for explanation; he provides sharp, accessible instruction on complicated material. “Consciousness must have an evolutionary advantage,” he notes at one point, “and that means that, in the end, it makes the chances for survival of the species, of the DNA, better.” This demystifying tone pervades the book and elevates it above others of its ilk.

A superbly comprehensive breakdown of the brain and its functions.