It's time for another installment of "Book Reviews of books I'm never going to read". This week, we concentrate on the books offered by the Extended University of Arizona. Yes, the same people who brought you Tucson II.

You'll want an order form.

"Stairway to the Mind": The nature of human consciousness is a mystery that philosophers, artists and scientists have struggled with for centuries. What is the basis for our awareness for ourselves and the universe around us? In Stairway to the Mind, Alwyn Scott offers a new perspective in which materialism and dualism co-exist. The book cuts across intellectual boundaries, incorporating particle physics, chemistry, cell biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology and mathematics.

This book, named after the great Led Zeppelin song, "Stairway to Heaven", is also organized much like the song. It starts off slow, then builds up into a weaving explosion of guitar and drums (materialism and dualism), and ends with Alwyn Scott (much like Robert Plant 20 years earlier) barely mouthing the last line: ".. and she's buuuying a sataaaairway [pause] to the mind". After not reading the book, much like after dancing to the song in Junior High, I am left exhausted and panting.

"Consciousness Experience": The problem of consciousness today lies at the very limits of human understanding. German philosopher Thomas Metzinger presents an outstanding collection of the best current work by philosophers on the problem of consciousness. The key question is how can conscioussness arise in a physical universe?

I will not give away the answer to that key question, you will have to read the book for that. But let me tell you: it somehow involves Kaiser Soze.

"Owner's Manual for the Brain":

This book reminds me of "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance", in that I have not read either, and they both have titles which make it clear that the reader can learn nothing about either the brain or motorcycle maintenance from them.

"Toward a Science of Consciousness":

This short pamphlet has its learning rate tuned way too low. Therefore, its climb toward a science of consciousness is slow, and it will have a hard time getting out of the local maximum in which it seems to be stuck.

Authors will be signing copies of their work, and eclectic drinks will be available at this week's

  G   I   R   L     S   C   O   U   T     B   E   N   E   F   I   T

7th floor playroom April 11, 1997 5:30 pm