The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of How We Are Connected and Why That Matters

Oliver, Tom

ISBN 10: 1474611745 / ISBN 13: 9781474611749

Published by Weidenfeld Nicolson, 2021

About this Item

Seller Inventory # Scanned1474611745

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of How We Are Connected and Why That Matters
• Publisher: Weidenfeld Nicolson
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1474611745
• ISBN 13: 9781474611749
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

We like to believe that we exist as independent selves at the centre of a subjective universe; that we are discrete individuals acting autonomously in the world with an unchanging inner self that persists throughout our lifetime.

This is an illusion.

On a physical, psychological and cultural level, we are all much more intertwined than we know: we cannot use our bodies to define our independent existence because most of our 37 trillion cells have such a short lifespan that we are essentially made anew every few weeks; the molecules that make up our bodies have already been component parts of countless other organisms, from ancient plants to dinosaurs; we are more than half non-human, in the form of bacteria, fungi and viruses, whose genes influence our moods and even manipulate our behaviour; and we cannot define ourselves by our minds, thoughts and actions, because these mainly originate from other people - the result of memes passing between us, existing before, after and beyond our own lifespans.

Professor of Ecology Tom Oliver makes the compelling argument that although this illusion of individualism has helped us to succeed as a species, tackling the big global challenges ahead now relies on our seeing beyond this mindset and understanding the complex connections between us. THE SELF DELUSION is an explosive, powerful and inspiring book that brings to life the overwhelming evidence contradicting the perception we have of ourselves as independent beings - and why understanding this may well be the key to a better future.

About the Author

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.