Consciousness as a Subsystem
An essay suggesting that consciousness is a limited subsystem of the brain. and that several instinctive ways of thinking about consciousness are wrong.
Steve Stuart Williams. The Ape that Understood the Universe.
My notes on an engaging book showing how human nature can be explained by evolutionary psychology and memetics.
Lisa Feldman Barrett. Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain.
My notes on a fine introductory book about the brain.
Randolph Nesse. Good Reasons for Bad Feelings.
My notes on a book about ‘Evolutionary Psychology,’ which considers why natural selection left us vulnerable to mental disorders and how to improve treatments.
Morgan Housel. The Psychology of Money.
My notes on a book that suggests that doing well with money is more about psychology than intelligence.
Susan Blackmore. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction.
My notes on a book that summarises what is know about consciousness and argues for delusionism.
Jonathan Haidt. The Happiness Hypothesis.
My notes on a book that shows how psychological findings provide a distinctive picture of human nature which can be compared with ancient wisdom and used to provide guidance on how to live.
Ali Abdaal. Feel-Good Productivity.
My notes on a book suggesting that the secret to productivity isn’t discipline but to feel good .
Daniel Kahneman. Thinking, Fast and Slow.
My notes on an impressive book that presents a lifetime of discoveries about human behaviour.
The Reality Mindset and the Mythology Mindset
A short essay on the valuable distinction between The Reality Mindset and The Mythology Mindset that Steven Pinker introduced in his book ‘Rationality’.
Joseph Henrich. The Weirdest People In The World
Notes on a book showing that westerners are outliers -W.E.I.R.D. – Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic.
James Clear. Atomic Habits
Notes on a book about the cumulative power of habits.
Steven Pinker. The Blank Slate.
A book arguing that the doctrines of the Blank Slate, the Noble Savage and the Ghost in the Machine contradict science and commonsense.