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[–] BB-3 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes.
The book is a look at when in history consciousness first developed, though so far the book has only broken down what consciousness is and isn't. It has essentially gone through the leading theories about what consciousness is and broken down why they don't exactly fit. It describes how consciousness isn't really necessary for thinking or reasoning. Then it goes on to say that language and specifically metaphors are how consciousness operates; that we use metaphors to reconcile new experiences with the things we already know, and thus begin to comprehend the world around us. It's a fascinating theory, and the fact that the author had to make up 4 new words in the last chapter to describe exactly how all of this works really made me feel like my brain was wrinkling. I believe the rest of the book breaks down ancient texts to demonstrate that the phenomenon of consciousness only developed a couple thousand years ago. The next chapter is on the Iliad, and I'm very interested to see how this goes. It's been a long time since I read a book that really made me think, so it's refreshing in that regard.