The Kingdom of Infinite Space: A Portrait of Your Head - Hardcover

Tallis, Raymond

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300142226 ISBN 13: 9780300142228

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2008

Synopsis

In this pathbreaking book, one of Britain’s most eloquent and original thinkers writes about the head, what happens in it, and how it is and is not connected to our sense of identity and consciousness. Blending science, philosophy, and humor, Raymond Tallis examines the extraordinarily complex relationship we have with our heads. His aim, as he says, is to turn readers into astonished tourists of the piece of the world that is closest to them, so they never again take for granted the head that looks at them from the mirror.” Readers will delight that this is precisely what he accomplishes.

 

The voyage begins with a meditation on the self-portrait of a mirror image, followed by a consideration of the head’s various secretions. Tallis contemplates the air we exhale; the subtle meanings of nods, winks, and smiles; the mysteries of hearing, taste, and smell. He discusses the metaphysics of the gaze, the meaning of kissing, and the processes by which the head comes to understand the world. Along the way he offers intriguing digressions on such notions as having” and using” one’s head, and enjoying and suffering it. Tallis concludes with his thoughts on the very thing the reader’s head has been doing throughout the book: thinking.

About this title

About the Author

Raymond Tallis is emeritus professor of geriatric medicine, University of Manchester, UK. As a poet, novelist, and philosopher, he has explored consciousness, language, and what is distinctive about human beings. His recent books include The Hand; I Am; The Knowing Animal; and The Enduring Significance of Parmenides: Unthinkable Thought. He lives in Cheshire, UK.

Review

“Tallis is extremely erudite, writes very well, and mixes his medical knowledge with allusions to writers and poets. I would not have believed it possible to write a book about the head without focusing mostly on the brain, but that is exactly what he has done. And, it is remarkably engaging.”—E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., author of Surviving Prostate Cancer
(E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.)

“This is a most unusual and an unusually enjoyable book. As the author promises it is a rich feast of digressions. Tallis attacks his varied topics with unflinching straightforwardness and honesty, leavened by considerable humor.”—Adam Zeman, author of Portrait of the Brain
(Adam Zeman)

"British medical doctor Tallis considers the looks and actions of the human head . . . Creative and proudly humanistic, Tallis' tour might induce readers to scrutinize their reflections as minutely as Tallis does his own."—Booklist (Booklist 2008-09-15)

”Ray Tallis is one of the hidden treasures of British intellectual life. . . . The Kingdom of Infinite Space is a book to make you laugh, cry, yawn. It might even make you use your brain.“—Kenan Malik, Sunday Telegraph
 
(Kenan Malik Daily Telegraph 2008-05-09)

“Tallis is a literary dandy of dazzling, almost narcissistic proportions, but he is also one of the most prolific and serious essayists of our time.”—John Cornwell, Literary Review

(John Cornwell Literary Review)

“With playful puns and allusions, occasional Joycean fuges and personal digressions, Tallis reflects on the social, cultural and emotional meanings of every aspect of a head’s appearance, secretions and actions, his elegant prose makes the mundane extraordinary.”—Chris McManus, Times Higher Education
 
(Chris McManus Times Higher Education)

"Reminds us of the glory of human beings."—Jane O’Grady, Guardian
 
(Jane O’Grady Guardian)

"A sparkling tour of our senses and the way in which we are embodied . . . make the world seem a more interesting place and life that much more important.”—Nicholas Fearn, Independent
(Nicholas Fearn Independent)

"Reading [Tallis] . . . gave this reviewer the sense of being exposed to a literary genius—literary because of his erudition and eloquent use of language, a genius because he demonstrates extraordinary knowledge and insights. . . . Highly recommended."— Choice (Choice)

Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2009 by Choice Magazine (Choice 2010-01-01)

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0300142226
• ISBN 13: 9780300142228
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344