Author:Barry Dainton
In the third in a new series of short, provoking books of original philosophy, acclaimed thinker Barry Dainton takes us through the nature of Self
When you think 'What am I?', what's actually doing the thinking? Is it a soul, or some other kind of mental entity separate from your body, or are 'you' just a collection of nerve-endings and narratives? In the third in a new series of short, provoking books of original philosophy, acclaimed thinker Barry Dainton takes us through the nature of Self and its relation to the rest of reality. Starting his journey with Descartes' claim that we are non-physical beings (even if it seems otherwise), and Locke's view that a person is self-conscious matter (though not necessarily in human form), Dainton explores how today's rapid movement of people, and information affects our understanding of self. When technology re-configures our minds, will it remake us, or kill us? If teleportation becomes possible, would it be rational to use it? Could we achieve immortality by uploading ourselves into virtual worlds? Far-reaching and witty, Self is a spirited exploration of the idea that in a constantly-changing world, we and our bodies can go their separate ways.
Clever... fun to follow, thanks to [Dainton's] relaxed and humorous prose. In a brief volume he ranges over a vast conceptual territory, lucidly presenting current views of how consciousness fits into the physical world, and speculating with brio on the fate of the self in a future age of brain-augmentation and virtual reality
—— ProspectReading ORIGINALS made me feel like I was seated across from Adam Grant at a dinner party, as one of my favorite thinkers thrilled me with his insights and his wonderfully new take on the world.
—— Malcolm GladwellAfter launching hundreds of businesses—from airlines to trains, music to mobile, and now a spaceline—my biggest challenges and successes have come from convincing other people to see the world differently. ORIGINALS reveals how that can be done and will help you inspire creativity and change.
—— Sir Richard BransonThis extraordinary, wildly entertaining book sheds new light on the Age of Disruption. What does it take to make a meaningful difference? And how can you apply this insight to your own life? By debunking myths of success stories, challenging long-held beliefs of process, and finding commonality among those who are agents of profound change, Adam Grant gives us a powerful new perspective on not just our place in the world, but our potential to shake it up entirely.
—— JJ Abrams, director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, co-creator and executive producer of Lost, and cofounder of Bad RobotAdam Grant is one of the great social scientists of our time
—— Susan Cain, author of QUIETORIGINALS is a fascinating, eye-opening read that will help you not just recognize your own unique gifts, but find the strength to challenge conventional wisdom to bring them to life. Using surprising studies and riveting stories, Adam Grant brilliantly shows us how to champion new ideas, bust persistent myths that hold us back and change not only our lives, but our world.
—— Arianna HuffingtonIt can sometimes seem as if one must master everything old in order to earn the privilege of doing anything new. Adam Grant does a masterful job showing that is not the case; we are lucky to have him as a guide.
—— Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and Palantir, and author of Zero to OneAdam Grant is a serious social scientist, master storyteller and infectious optimist…. “Originals” is filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives. Mr. Grant has an uncanny ability to infuse a familiar topic with deeper meaning and leave the reader feeling hopeful and a little exhilarated.
—— New York TimesAn urgent must read, a seminal work that will surprise you on every single page. Adam Grant has reset our expectations for what it means to be creative and what's required to make a difference. Share it with someone you care about.
—— Seth Godin, bestselling author of PURPLE COW and many other titlesFresh research, counter-intuitive insights, lively writing, practical calls to action ... Grant has a deserved reputation as an original thinker.
—— The Financial Times[A] rich and practical paean to nonconformity.
—— FortuneOriginals succeeds by marrying sound research and insightful anecdotes to a breezy narrative style
—— The GuardianPart of the fun of Grant’s book is that he redeems behaviors we typically regard with puritan disdain. . . . Thought-provoking.
—— The New York Times Book ReviewAn interesting and highly topical work of moral philosophy by psychologist … about the ancient conflict between reason and emotion, science and sentiment … an important book
—— Bryan Appleyard , Sunday TimesCompiles evidence from a range of sources to show that empathy can be innumerate, biased, parochial and inconsistent and can push us towards inaction at best and racism and violence at worst
—— GuardianPaul Bloom’s wonderfully humane, lucid and entertaining demolition of the empathy-worshippers… is a brave and necessary tract for the times
—— Paul Bloom , Irish IndependentIn Against Empathy, Bloom provides a thoughtful, considered, empirically grounded case which challenges many notions that we often accept as good without really thinking them through… Against Empathy is a wonderfully argued, provocative polemic against the trend to see empathy as an unalloyed good
—— Kenan Malik , New HumanistSuperforecasting by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner, is one of the most interesting business and finance books published in 2015.
—— John Kay , Financial TimesThe lessons of superforecasting are keenly relevant to huge swathes of our lives.
—— Matthew Syed , The TimesTetlock writes boldly about wanting to improve what he sees as the bloated, expensive – and not terribly accurate – intelligence apparatus that advises our politicians and drives global affairs.
—— City A.M.Philip Tetlock’s Superforecasting is a common-sense guide to thinking about decision-making and the future by a man who knows this terrain like no one else.
—— Books of the Year , Bloomberg BusinessTetlock and Gardner believe anyone can improve their forecasting ability by learning from the way they work. If that's true, people in business and finance who make an effort to do so have a lot to gain – and those who don't, much to lose.
—— Financial PostWhat I found most interesting was the continuous process of integrating new information to test and modify existing beliefs … clearly a beneficial skill in financial markets
—— CitywireSocial science has enormous potential, especially when it combines 'rigorous empiricism with a resistance to absolute answers.' The work of Philip Tetlock possesses these qualities.
—— Scientific AmericanA fascinating book.
—— PR WeekOffers a valuable insight into the future of management.
—— CMI Management Book of the Year judgesBoth rigorous and readable. The lessons are directly relevant to business, finance, government, and politics.
—— Books of the Year , Bloomberg BusinessA scientific analysis of the ancient art of divination which shows that forecasting is a talent.
—— Books of the Year , EconomistCaptivating . . . [Tetlock's] writing is so engaging and his argument so tantalizing, readers will quickly be drawn into the challenge . . . A must-read field guide for the intellectually curious.
—— Kirkus ReviewsA top choice [for best book of 2015] among the world’s biggest names in finance and economics . . . Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer, Deutsche Bank Chief U.S. Economist Joe LaVorgna, and Citigroup Vice Chairman Peter Orszag were among those giving it a thumbs-up.
—— Bloomberg BusinessweekJust as modern medicine began when a farsighted few began to collect data and keep track of outcomes, to trust objective 'scoring' over their own intuitions, it's time now for similar demands to be made of the experts who lead public opinion. It's time for evidence-based forecasting.
—— Washington PostTetlock and his colleagues [have] found that there is such a thing as foresight, and it’s not a gift that’s bestowed upon special people, but is a skill that can be learned and developed . . . To obtain this apparent superpower does not take a PhD or an exceptionally high IQ; it takes a certain mindset.
—— GuardianSuperforecasting is a very good book. In fact it is essential reading - which I have never said in any of my previous Management Today reviews . . . It should be on every manager's and investor's reading list around the topics du jour of decision-making, prediction and behavioural economics.
—— Andrew Wileman , Management TodayRead Philip Tetlock’s Superforecasting, instead of political pundits who don’t what they’re talking about.
—— Dominic CummingsWe should indeed apply superforecasting more systematically to government. Like systematic opinion polling, it is an aid to decision-makers and informed debate. It is ideologically neutral, unless you have a bias in favour of ignorance. This is all good.
—— Andrew Adonis , Independent