Review
"A splendid book. Tallis is right to say that current attempts to explain major elements of human life by brain-talk are fearfully misguided. He is exceptional in having both the philosophical grasp to understand what is wrong here and the scientific knowledge to expose it fully. He documents the gravity of this menace with real fire, venom and humour." --Mary Midgley
"A wonderful book and an important book, one that all neuroscientists should read. Tallis's fearless criticism of the work of some distinguished contemporary academics and scientists and the rather ludicrous experimental paradigms of fMRI work needs to be made." --Simon Shorvon, Professor of Clinical Neurology, UCL Institute of Neurology
"There are few contemporary thinkers who possess either the breadth of Ray Tallis's knowledge or the depth of his scholarship. There are fewer still who can write so cogently and insightfully about the human condition." --Kenan Malik
"A wonderful book and an important book, one that all neuroscientists should read. Tallis's fearless criticism of the work of some distinguished contemporary academics and scientists and the rather ludicrous experimental paradigms of fMRI work needs to be made." --Simon Shorvon, Professor of Clinical Neurology, UCL Institute of Neurology
"There are few contemporary thinkers who possess either the breadth of Ray Tallis's knowledge or the depth of his scholarship. There are fewer still who can write so cogently and insightfully about the human condition." --Kenan Malik
About the Author
Raymond Tallis trained as a doctor before going on to become Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Manchester. He was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences for his research in clinical neuroscience. He retired from medicine in 2006 to become a full-time writer. He has written over a dozen books of cultural criticism, philosophy of mind and philosophical anthropology including, most recently, the acclaimed The Kingdom of Infinite Space. In 2009, The Economist's Intelligent Life magazine named him as one of the top living polymaths in the world.
