Items related to The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size
As John Casti wrote, "Finally, a book that really does explain consciousness." This groundbreaking work by Denmark's leading science writer draws on psychology, evolutionary biology, information theory, and other disciplines to argue its revolutionary point: that consciousness represents only an infinitesimal fraction of our ability to process information. Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In fact, most of what we call thought is actually the unconscious discarding of information. What our consciousness rejects constitutes the most valuable part of ourselves, the "Me" that the "I" draws on for most of our actions--fluent speech, riding a bicycle, anything involving expertise. No wonder that, in this age of information, so many of us feel empty and dissatisfied. As engaging as it is insightful, this important book encourages us to rely more on what our instincts and our senses tell us so that we can better appreciate the richness of human life.
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The "user illusion" in computing is the desktop graphical user interface (GUI): the friendly, comprehensible illusion presented to the user to conceal all the bouncing bits and bytes that do the actual work. Tor Nørretranders writes that "our consciousness is a user illusion for ourselves and the world ... one's very own map of oneself and one's possibilities of intervening in the world." Much of Nørretranders' evidence comes from comparing the wide bandwidth of experience to the narrow bandwidth of consciousness, and from examining how much of our brain function is never consciously acknowledged. Although slightly out of date (the book was written in 1991; it was a bestseller in Europe), The User Illusion has been well translated and gives a refreshing, non-Anglophone take on a problem that is not likely to go away anytime soon.
About the Author:
Tor Nørretranders is a Danish writer, speaker, thinker, and self-identified “science storyteller” who writes with “a sophistication rarely seen in popular science writing” (New York Times). He is the author of The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size and The Generous Man: How Helping Others Is the Sexiest Thing You Can Do.
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- PublisherPenguin Books
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0140230122
- ISBN 13 9780140230123
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages480
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User Illusion : Cutting Consciousness Down to Size
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The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size (Penguin Press Science) by Norretranders, Tor [Paperback ]
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The "user illusion" of this groundbreaking book's title comes from the language of computer design and refers to the simplistic mental image most of us have of our PCs. Our consciousness, says Norretranders, is our user illusion of ourselves. The conscious part of us receives much less information than the unconscious part. We should trust our hunches and pursue our intuitions because they are closer to reality. The User Illusion makes the case that humans are designed for a much richer existence than processing a dribble of data from a computer screen. The fact that there is far too little information in the so-called Information Age may be responsible for the malaise of modern society, that nagging feeling that there must be more to life. There is - but we have to get outside and live life with all our senses to experience it more fully. Drawing on wildly disparate areas of scientific research, Tor Norretranders has made a compelling case for putting consciousness in perspective and embracing all that the world has to offer. As John Casti wrote, "Finally, a book that really does explain consciousness." This groundbreaking work by Denmark's leading science writer draws on psychology, evolutionary biology, information theory, and other disciplines to argue its revolutionary point: that consciousness represents only an infinitesimal fraction of our ability to process information. Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In fact, most of what we call thought is actually the unconscious discarding of information. What our consciousness rejects constitutes the most valuable part of ourselves, the "Me" that the "I" draws on for most of our actions — fluent speech, riding a bicycle, anything involving expertise. No wonder that, in this age of information, so many of us feel empty and dissatisfied. As engaging as it is insightful, this important book encourages us to rely more on what our instincts and our senses tell us so that we can better appreciate the richness of human life. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780140230123
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Book Description Softcover. Condition: New. New edition. Explore the depths of consciousness through the essential groundbreaking international bestseller.Finally, a book that really does explain consciousness.-John Casti, scientist and author of What Scientists Can Know About the FutureWith foundations in psychology, evolutionary biology, and information theory, Demarks leading science writer argues a revolutionary point: that consciousness represents only an infinitesimal fraction of our ability to process information. Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In this thought-provoking work, Norretranders argues that our perceptions are not direct representations of the world we experience, but instead, illusions our brains craft to process it.More timely and relevant than ever, in light of rapid development in artificial intelligence and large language models, this informative study of consciousness provides the framework to reflect on the inner workings of the mind and understand the self. As engaging as it is insightful, this important book encourages us to rely more on what our instincts and our senses tell us so that we can better appreciate the richness of human life. Seller Inventory # DADAX0140230122
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