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Top Ten Reading List For the Consciousness Cadre


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In an effort to combine the recent TF penchant for list-making along with the iunexpected (and somewhat bizarre) evolutionary biology splinter cell, I herewith offer my Top Ten Books for the Study of the Problem of Consciousness and Human Behavior. Discuss among yourselves, please.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn

Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennet

The Red Queen by Matt Ridley

The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are by Robert Wright

How the Mind Works by Stephen Pinker

The Selfish Gene by Richard Hawkins

Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence by Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham

Sociobiology by Edward O. Wilson

Why Sex is Fun by Jared Diamond

The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore

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haven't read all of these yet, it's a work in progress--but add:

evolution

the beak of the finch by jonathan weiner

the ant and the peacock by helena cronin

darwin's ghost: the origin of species updated by steve jones, a good intro.

evolutionary psychology

the evolution of cooperation by robert axelrod

the mating mind by geoffrey miller

the evolution of desire by david buss

the monkey in the mirror by ian tattersal (one from the punctuated equilibrium camp)

and a good intro to evolutionary psychology,

evolutionary psychology by robin dunbar.

consciousness

the user illusion by tor norretranders,

and a user's guide to the brain john j. ratey, m.d.

science vs discourse, science as disccourse

(regarding the debate as to whether science is objective or biased, whether facts are discovered or invented, whether scientific methods are arbitrary, and whether science aims to displace god)

the science wars edited by keith parsons

what scientists think edited by jeremy stangroom and

postmodernism and big science edited by richard appignanesi

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One more, a groundbreaker:

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes

This is a fun read and quite an intrigueing idea, but don't take it too seriously. The theory doesn't hold up so well these days. I'd recommend it too though, if only for an alternative perspective.

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Consciousness Explained - Daniel Dennett (doesn't really explain it but smacks you upside the head into realizing a whole load of important things about consciousness)

How The Mind Works - Steven Pinker

Enchanted Looms - Rodney Cotterill (functional nuts and bolts of how brains work)

The Embodied Mind - Varela, Thompson, and Rosch (an essential concept introduced in this book ahead of it's time)

Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying - The Dalai Lama (let's balance things out with a bit of Buddhist perspective)

Ethology - James Gould (just the simple facts in this book will shock you)

ok I'm too lazy to make a list of 10 right now :-P

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  • 6 months later...

I just download audiobooks from bittorents,

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

by Karl Gustav Jung. I like it. It was fun and free.

I wait to listen to

  • Man and His Symbols

too.

After I listened to it, I tried to interpret my dream, but I dont remember any dream. But my parents dreams quite often. Twice a month at least. And they like to interpret it into numbers!

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Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man by David T. Hardy, Jason Clarke

If this plug saves me from having to have one less conversation based on how great and wise MM is and how unselfish and humanitarian he is, then that's reward enough.

You may also like

Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason by Michel Foucault

i see that, like many of the recent posters on this thread, you looked at the original post and saw what the reading list was about :roll:

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Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man by David T. Hardy, Jason Clarke

If this plug saves me from having to have one less conversation based on how great and wise MM is and how unselfish and humanitarian he is, then that's reward enough.

You may also like

Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason by Michel Foucault

i see that, like many of the recent posters on this thread, you looked at the original post and saw what the reading list was about :roll:

Ah came in on page 2 thought the criteria was not being in a coma :roll: ...

In that case...

Is a toss up between Empirates of the Caribbean by Disney or Treatise on Man by Rene Descartes

God...i learned French studying Descartes, and Latin too!

Mildly off subject...try Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow...a novel but enlightening aboyt human nature,

Also, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chan....a must read for anyone interested in human behavior.

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  • 1 month later...
Michael

Also, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chan....a must read for anyone interested in human behavior.

Looks like alot of TFs are psychology graduates....as for the rape of nanking....I think everyone should read it...people wonder why the chinese are still pissed with the japanese?

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