The Self Delusion, Tom Oliver
The Self Delusion, Tom Oliver
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The Self Delusion
The Surprising Science of Our Connection to Each Other and the Natural World

Author: Tom Oliver

Narrator: Joe Jameson

Unabridged: 6 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/23/2020

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

'A thought-provoking and worthwhile read' THE TIMES

'A timely, challenging book' GUARDIAN

'[A] rich, intriguing book' NATURE

WE ARE MUCH MORE CONNECTED TO NATURE AND EACH OTHER THAN WE REALISE . . .

- Most of our 37 trillion cells have such a short lifespan that we are essentially made anew every few weeks
- The molecules forming our bodies have been component parts of countless other organisms, from ancient plants to dinosaurs
- The bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up our bodies influence our moods and even manipulate our behaviour
- Every word and every touch we receive from other people transforms the neural networks in our brain and changes our sense of self

THE SELF DELUSION is an explosive, powerful and inspiring book that brings together overwhelming evidence against the illusion we have of ourselves as independent beings - and explains how understanding our many connections may be the key to a better future.

About Tom Oliver

TOM OLIVER is a Professor at the University of Reading, leading their Ecology and Evolution research group. He is a prominent systems thinker, advising both the UK government and the European Environment Agency. He is a frequent contributor to broadcast media and regularly gives talks on environmental science to general audiences. He has published more than seventy scientific papers in world-leading interdisciplinary journals and won two first-place prizes for essays communicating science to a broader audience. THE SELF DELUSION is his first book.

Reviews

Goodreads review by John on March 30, 2020

Yes I liked it and could have had 4 stars on another day. Some of the reasoning about how there is no such thing as "me" wasn't entirely convincing to my small egocentric mind. I do however agree with most of what he says, that problems in the world are an extrapolation of our liberal materialistic......more

Goodreads review by Jeni on May 17, 2020

I am fully sold on the basic premise of this book, 1) that ultimately individual behaviour change is needed to solve the issues our global food system (as one example) is bringing to the fore 2) a key teaching of meditation is that there is no stable self and that instead 'we' are made up of interco......more

Goodreads review by Robert on October 16, 2021

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would. It's not perfectly written or put together but the author is clearly knowledgeable and share some enthralling insights to the biological, and cultural systems which we humans share wittingly and unwittingly with other lifeforms and other human......more

Goodreads review by Katy on August 27, 2022

I was quite disappointed with this book. The central premise (that there is no self) is a strong one and worthy of much thought. But neither the content nor the tone of this book hit the mark for me. Content wise there is very little about neuroscience, brain science or psychology. There are also only......more

Goodreads review by Alla on February 20, 2020

Interesting title, that promises fresh perspective on relationship between the individual, society, nature and the world at large. There are a few interesting ideas and links to research and facts but overall it feels like a long essay which reiterates that has been talked about in the last few year......more

Quotes

Consciousness is one of the greatest of scientific mysteries . . . Fascinating MAIL ON SUNDAY

The idea of the self as a relatively closed system is a delusion that has often conferred advantage, but is now a dangerous trap. Moving through difficult science with valuable clarity, Oliver tells us why . . . [a] timely, challenging book GUARDIAN

Ambitious . . . it has several important messages, many of which need to be more widely understood . . . a thought-provoking and worthwhile read THE TIMES

This book is absolutely fantastic

Humans are less discrete entities than mash-ups of microbiota and shifting beliefs, declares ecologist Tom Oliver in this rich, intriguing book. We are, he shows, so interfused with the environment that all life might be seen as a web of genes, and all minds a web of memes. Oliver reframes the self as a fleeting union of molecules, a target for manipulation by parasites, a cooperative co-creator who is also destroying the biosphere. But by recognizing our connectedness, he argues, we enable needed societal and environmental change NATURE

THE SELF DELUSION is a book of wonders. It articulately explores the infinite web of connection that humans have with one another, as well as with those that lived before them and those yet to be born. But Oliver also takes us beyond the body to tease out our many connections with the world around us and far, far beyond it. How can we really be individuals when trillions of atoms from the farthest reaches of the galaxy can be found in our bodies? A timely, fascinating and quite brilliant book

As a recovering individualist, I need to be reminded of the dangers of the self delusion and the benefits of dispelling it, and this book is a fascinating and compelling presentation of the scientific evidence

As Tom Oliver takes us through this enlightening tour of our interconnectedness, from microscopic interactions to our collective cultural mind, he mercilessly dissects the very notion that our cherished individuality exists at all. Entertaining and thought-provoking, this book offers an urgently needed revaluation of our place in the world and what the next steps in our evolution might be

Until you've read Tom Oliver's delightful THE SELF DELUSION you'll never have guessed that, from the ground up, you and your self-identity are constructions, built like an Arcimboldo painting, but of cells from many sources, neurons, ideas and finally connections to others. Read this book for a compelling way of thinking about how and why the 'you' that you see when you look inside yourself arises, and its place in the universe

Tom Oliver tells a compelling story, firmly rooted in biological evidence, that will make you think differently about yourself and your relationship with the world around you

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