Description

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'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 half 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 the Author

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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.

Praise For…

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A vision of a connected society - one that is conscious of its dependency on nature - is a glistening beacon in a gloomy ecological present. In an era that will be defined by its planetary action, Oliver's argument is timely and thorough—GEOGRAPHICAL

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

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—Nathan H. Lents, author of HUMAN ERRORS

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—Michael Foley, author of THE AGE OF ABSURDITY

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

Heraclitus famously said that no man can step in the same river twice. Oliver has the science to back up the philosophy—Christopher Bray, THE TABLET

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

If there was ever a book that connected us to current world it's this one. From how our bodies are made, the life of bacteria and its transmission between us, to how we create identity and what that means, and our connection and relationship to the natural world. Tom Oliver takes us on a revealing and important journey—Alan Moore, author of DO DESIGN: Why beauty is key to everything

Interweaving the natural sciences with case studies from neuroscience and psychology, The Self Delusion assembles a compelling thesis.... It's easy to see why he has won awards for communicating science to a general audience—SUNDAY BUSINESS POST, IRELAND

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—Vybarr Cregan-Reid, author of PRIMATE CHANGE

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

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—Sir Prof. Ian Boyd, Chief Scientific Advisor, UK Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (2012-2019)

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—Mark Pagel, author of WIRED FOR CULTURE