Evolving the mind

by A. G. Cairns-Smith

Our minds must be considered among the wonders of the natural world. It seems hardly credible that an organised assemblage of molecules can generate vivid feelings and sensations, yet the brain is such an assemblage and it does...So, how does our conscious mind arise from our physical brain? Evolving the Mind examines this question by following two main themes: how theories of the mind have evolved in science and how the mind itself evolved in Nature. This book is written in a very accessible way. It is amusing, serious, informative and at times conversational. It starts in history and follows a trail for a physical theory of consciousness inadvertently laid down by twentieth century science.