Books by Antonio Damasio
“Damasio here draws a line from bacteria and the first forms of life to human culture, to show how the mechanisms that were present at the dawn of life are the same ones at work in our embodied, feeling states, those that allow ultimately for human culture and for our ‘flourishing’, a term he uses frequently in the book and takes seriously. What he does here is trace the genealogy of ‘minded life, in order to ground firmly in our biology our very capacity to represent the world and ourselves to ourselves. Single-cell organisms are capable of sensing and responding, but they are not minded – yet this is the beginning of mind.” Read more...
Noga Arikha, Philosopher
The Feeling of What Happens
by Antonio Damasio
Damasio distinguishes between a core sense of self, grounded in the body and in emotions, and “the autobiographical self”
Descartes' Error
by Antonio Damasio
Damasio’s work concerns emotion and the role of emotion in decision-making. We have an idea that every day decisions are shaped by rational thinking, but Damasio worked with people who have suffered strokes, and as a result are incapable of feeling emotion. And far from making good decisions, they make terrible decisions, and their lives fall apart.
Interviews where books by Antonio Damasio were recommended
The best books on The Meaning of Life, recommended by Paul Thagard
Finding meaning in life is not the same as finding happiness, argues Canadian philosopher Paul Thagard. He picks the best books on the meaning of life.
The best books on Neuroscience, recommended by David Brooks
It’s hard to understand many things about the world around us without a knowledge of the unconscious workings of the brain, argues the New York Times columnist David Brooks. He chooses five accessible books that’ll get you into neuroscience as well.
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1
Connectome
by Sebastian Seung -
2
The Feeling of What Happens
by Antonio Damasio -
3
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
by Richard Wrangham -
4
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease
by Daniel Lieberman -
5
The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution
by Joseph Henrich
The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel
The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel
The human brain contains 86 billion neurons and burns a quarter of our energy intake. But it is by no means extraordinary, says Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Here, the Brazilian neuroscientist chooses five of the best books for understanding the complexities and connectivity of our most enigmatic organ.
The best books on Gender and Human Nature, recommended by Carol Gilligan
The idea that girls are emotional and “boys don’t cry” is ridiculous, says the feminist and psychologist. She tells us about books that debunk the gender myths that continue to restrict and distort our lives.
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1
The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures
by Antonio Damasio -
2
Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life
by Peter Godfrey-Smith -
3
Mind the Body: An Exploration of Bodily Self-Awareness
by Frédérique de Vignemont -
4
The Interoceptive Mind: From Homeostasis to Awareness
edited by Manos Tsakiris and Helena De Preester -
5
Mothers, Fathers, and Others: New Essays
by Siri Hustvedt
The best books on Philosophy, Science and the Body, recommended by Noga Arikha
The best books on Philosophy, Science and the Body, recommended by Noga Arikha
Philosophy is a subject of abstract concepts and arguments, traditionally focusing on ideas about the soul or the mind and less so on the body. However, as modern science has made ever more apparent, very little makes sense without it. Philosopher and historian of ideas Noga Arikha recommends books on philosophy, science and the body.
