Rita Carter ponders the nature, origins, and purpose of consciousness in this fascinating inquiry into the toughest problem facing modern science and philosophy. Building on the foundation of her bestselling book Mapping the Mind, she considers whether consciousness is merely an illusion, a by-product of our brain's workings, some as yet inexplicable feature or property of the material universe or—as the latest physics may suggest—the very fundament of reality. Little, she discovers, is as it first seems. Carter draws from a solid body of knowledge—empirical findings and theoretical hypotheses--about consciousness, much of it derived from recent discoveries about the brain. Her lively, accessible narrative ranges widely over new ways of thinking about the subject and what direction new research is taking. Leading scholars from a range of perspectives provide topical essays that complement Carter's account. The book also discusses how traditional approaches—philosophical, scientific, and experiential—might be brought together to create a more complete understanding of consciousness. Neuroscientists and philosophers refer to consciousness as "the hard problem." The most fundamental questions are still open to debate. What exactly is consciousness? How does a phenomenon that seems so immaterial arise from that wet ball of glop we call a brain? (Indeed, does it arise from matter at all or arrive from somewhere else?) While Carter, who probed the "easy problems" (emotion, perception, and thought) in her acclaimed Mapping the Mind, does not claim to have solved these dilemmas, she argues that empirical findings point toward an answer. Her goal is to provide an overview of those data for nonspecialists. In this she succeeds admirably, rendering difficult material both interesting and comprehensible. A notable feature is the inclusion of sidebars by a number of experts in consciousness research, explaining their own theories or describing certain topics in greater detail. The book itself is very handsome, with charming illustrations that also show a number of the "thought experiments" that are an important part of consciousness research. Informed readers of all backgrounds will love this. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. "In a breezy and clear style, Carter provides a broad, lucid survey of most of the interesting ideas and people involved in the trendy field of consciousness research, pulling together many disparate philosophical and scientific views."—John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication, and Explanation "In a breezy and clear style, Carter provides a broad, lucid survey of most of the interesting ideas and people involved in the trendy field of consciousness research, pulling together many disparate philosophical and scientific views."-John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication, and Explanation Rita Carter is a science writer whose work has appeared in, among other publications, The New York Times, Washington Post, New Scientist, and Daily Telegraph. She has twice been awarded the Medical Journalists' Association prize for outstanding contributions to medical journalism. Her first book, Mapping the Mind, was shortlisted for the Rhône-Poulenc science prize.