Preview
  • Conscious

  • A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind
  • By: Annaka Harris
  • Narrated by: Annaka Harris
  • Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,775 ratings)

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Conscious

By: Annaka Harris
Narrated by: Annaka Harris
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Publisher's summary

2020 Audie Finalist

As concise and enlightening as Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, this mind-expanding dive into the mystery of consciousness is an illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience.

What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

In this wonderfully accessible audiobook, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what might possess it.

Conscious offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness - allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can.

©2019 Annaka Harris (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about Conscious

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Fascinating!

A really great introduction to and overview of the subject of consciousness! Although I thought I knew already a lot about the subject, it gave me some new insights to ponder.

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Fantastic

It takes a very careful writer to make panpsychism sound interesting and reasonable. A fascinating book that made me rethink many ideas. I really enjoyed that the author narrated.

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A great book on conciousness

The book is narrated excellently by the author herself . Annaka Harris discusses the mystery of conciousness in an easy to comprehend manner . I am grateful for Annaka Harris and people like her who continue to ask questions and to aid in our journey of discovery and reflection.

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Excellent Primer

Excellent overview of the topic on consciousness. Easily accessible by the novice. Great performance by the author.

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Captivating!!!

A thorough and well presented work with comprehensive and relevant information about the known and unknown nature of reality. I will be reading it again soon.

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Mind-bending topics are rarely so clearly and carefully presented

This is an excellent little book, especially for a first time science writer. It somehow manages to make the mystery of consciousness even more mysterious but also more comprehensible.

If I had to make a criticism, I I would say the narration was a little slow and monotonous— not unlike the author’s podcasting spouse, actually.

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Great Insights

Provided the best easy to understand explanation of how the brain works. A discussion of conscience and how it plays into our struggle to find identity.

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Informative, yet simplistic.

Fancy verbiage and unnecessary chatter is entirely skipped in this book; read with true wonder and wide eyed enthusiasm. Annaka eloquently breaks down complex ideas in a mentally digestible, easy to follow format.

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Amazing!

This book was so interesting and intriguing I became very sad when I realized it was coming to an end. Will definitely listen to again in the near future.
If you're unsure whether you want to check out this book, just listen to her talk about it on her husband's podcast!

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Close your eyes and just listen

This book is hard to stop listening to. There's so much mystery and intriguing concepts.

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