London Science Book Club 1

Tonight was the inaugural gathering of the London science book clubbers, and it was brilliant (although we did have a couple of seasonal flu-related dropouts). We were discussing Antonio Damasio's 1995 book, Descartes' Error. The general consensus was that it was a brain-broadening read. Philosophers in Descartes' time believed that the mind was separate from the body; something unique and non-physical. But Damasio, the famous neuroscientist, makes the argument that the mind doesn't just live in the brain, but in the entire body. It's a product of genetics, the body itself and the experiences that we undergo through our senses all the time. He gives a convincing explanation, using case studies, metaphors, loads of technical details and diagrams.

The only problem, as our group found, was that it was a bit too technical (and bear in mind that there is one ex-neuroscientist among us). In fact, it's written so much like an academic paper and, at times, in such intelligible prose that it's a drag to read. One member didn't like the constant use of the phrase, "the latter", which wasn't just annoying but sometimes inappropriate too. We also poured scorn on the diagrams, which were almost exclusively unclear and unhelpful. In short, the whole thing could have used a good edit.

That said, if you do manage to get through it, my final verdict is that it's worth it for the wonderful insights into the human mind. I'm already quoting Damasio to my friends.