1/20 FINALLY – its launch day (UK, @FaberBooks) for Being You – A New Science of Consciousness. It will be in bookshops around the country, and also available online (hardback, eBook audiobook) - more details at anilseth.com/being-you/ and at amazon.co.uk/Being-You-Insi… 
2/20 I’m excited to talk about the book this evening at the Royal Institution @Ri_Science, in person and online, starting at 7pm and followed by beers. Now with added @AdamRutherford. Tickets available here: rigb.org/whats-on/event…
3/20 Being You is all about consciousness, and explains how and why our experiences of the world, and of being a 'self', are deeply grounded in our nature as living creatures.
4/20 I introduce the "real problem" of consciousness, explore what a science of consciousness should achieve, talk about how to measure consciousness, psychedelics, and integrated information theory
5/20 We see how perception is a form of controlled hallucination, so that our conscious experiences are active constructions that are (usually, and in interesting ways) reined in by reality
6/20 Turning the lens inwards we discover that the self is not the ‘thing’ that does the perceiving - the self is itself a perception, a very special kind of controlled hallucination
7/20 The core of the book describes my beast machine theory of consciousness and self – which proposes that we perceive ourselves in order to control ourselves: we experience the world, and the self, with, through, and because of our living bodies
8/20 We also encounter the free energy principle, free will, animal consciousness, machine consciousness, hemispherotomies, brain organoids, and much more
9/20 In the end, we come to see ourselves – not just our bodies, but also our conscious minds – as less apart from, and more a part of the wider patterns of nature. I find this, as I hope you will too, a deeply enriching picture of what it is to be who we are.
10/20 Being You is a @guardian #BookOfTheWeek, reviewed by @WanderingGaia as “an exhilarating book: a vast-ranging, phenomenal achievement that will undoubtedly become a seminal text.” theguardian.com/books/2021/aug…
11/20 @KirkusReviews calls it ‘unfailingly interesting’ & it’s a @thebookseller Editor’s Choice – an “extraordinary debut”. David Byrne says it’s “a brilliant beast of a book” and @davideagleman calls it “Beautifully written, crystal clear, and deeply insightful”
12/20 “Readable, relatable, and gripping” says Alex Garland, and @anilanth says that “Seth takes us closer than ever to making sense of our experience of being conscious selves. A must read”
13/20 “Being You offers us a new cause for astonishment and wonder … a must read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the brain and how nature sculpts the human experience.” @annakaharris
14/20 “Anil Seth’s Being You is a wonderfully accessible and comprehensive account of how our minds capture the world, and how that makes us who we are.” @seanmcarroll
15/20 @philipcball: “If Anil Seth's book doesn't change the way you think, you need to read it again. It's a tour de force.” Andy Clark @fluffycyborg: “a remarkable and ground-breaking work …compulsory reading”
16/20 Nigel Warburton @philosophybites says “A fascinating book. A joy to read”, along with @five_books “This is likely to be one of the most important books of 2021” fivebooks.com/book/being-you…
17/20 Michael Pollan @michaelpollan recently told the @nytimes that he was reading galley proofs of Being You – let’s hope he liked it! nytimes.com/2021/07/08/boo…
18/20 According to the wise @adamrutherford “Anil Seth thinks clearly and sharply on one of the hardest problems of science and philosophy, cutting through weeds with a scientist's mind and a storyteller's skill.”
19/20 Last but not least, Karl Friston calls it “truly compelling”, and “Insightful and profound … this a hugely important book” says @jimalkhalili.
20/20 Get your copy from your local indie bookstore uk.bookshop.org/books/being-yo… or otherwise amazon.co.uk/Being-You-Insi…, and if you can’t get it just yet, here’s my TED talk to put back on rotation, 12M views and counting @TEDtalks 😎ted.com/talks/anil_set…
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