# Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind - Hardcover

by **Annaka Harris** (Author)

**_NEW YORK TIMES_ BESTSELLER**

**"If you've ever wondered how you have the capacity to wonder, some fascinating insights await you in these pages." --Adam Grant, _New York Times_ bestselling author of _Originals_**

**As concise and enlightening as _Seven Brief Lessons on Physics_ and _Astrophysics for People in a Hurry_, this mind-expanding dive into the mystery of consciousness is an illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience.**

What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what might possess it.

_Conscious_ offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness--allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can.

### Front Jacket

**What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist?**

We take for granted our experience of being in the world. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or is it a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what may possess it.

An illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience, _Conscious_ offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness--allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can.

\--Adam Grant, _New York Times_ bestselling author of _Originals, Give and Take_, and _Option B_

### Back Jacket

**What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist?**

We take for granted our experience of being in the world. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or is it a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what may possess it.

An illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience, _Conscious_ offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness--allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can.

**Number of Pages:** 144

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 7.75 x 5.25 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 04, 2019

## Details

- **Price:** 23.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 23.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/conscious-a-brief-guide-to-the-fundamental-mystery-of-the-mind-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-21
