Philip Ball

Without human minds there would be no physics, biology, philosophy or literature. Yet there remains no conclusive explanation of how the parts and processes of our brain give rise to the thoughts, feelings and sensations which characterise our lives. This is the central mystery of The Book of Minds: How to Understand Ourselves and Other Beings, the latest offering from one of the worlds foremost science writers: Philip Ball. In it he argues that the human mind becomes less baffling only when considered alongside non-human minds. This is a book, then, which considers ‘mind’ in its broadest sense: from octopi, plants, Artificial Intelligence, and extra-terrestrials. As accessible as it is broad in scope, ‘The Book of Minds’ is a paradigm of popular science: engaging, succinct, and, most importantly, absolutely fascinating. If you’re interested in physics, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science or have ever broken out in existential sweat thinking about the mind and its place in nature, Philip will have something to enlighten and engage.

For twenty years Philip Ball has been an Editor of Nature, a peer-reviewed scientific journal which regularly features groundbreaking research from the worlds finest researchers. He has published over twenty books of popular science, including 2005’s critically-acclaimed Critical Mass, and is a regular contributor to publications such as New Scientist, The Guardian and The New York Times. Philip holds a PhD in Physics and has been the recipient of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books as well as the Kelvin Medal and Prize.