For those open to the message, profound

Some books tell you things you knew but hadn't quite put together or been able to articulate. That's not all this book is, but it's not less either.

Particularly heartening in a book that's so wide ranging is where he talks on subjects that I do really know. Many books fail at this point by demonstrating they haven't quite understood the issue. In this case, when writing about music, McGilchrist knocks it out of the park.

The narrator is uncanny at times - has a great overall voice but quite a few times pronounces words in a strange way that pulls you out of the experience.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Good book, poor narration

Very interesting, worthwhile listen hurt by frequent frustratingly odd pronunciation of words by the narrator which leads to your left hemisphere focusing in on the detail of the odd pronunciation thus distracting your right hemisphere from maintaining the view on the bigger picture of the topics being discussed.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Long but worth the effort

Definitely worth persevering through what is a long book that is somewhat epetitive at times.

Broad context across philosophy neuroscience medicine technology religion and medicine

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

an outstanding work

very happy with this purchase, fantastic audio version, research really well presented and clear, highly recommended.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

World-Altering

The best non-fiction book I've ever read, hands down. Will change the way you see the world and yourself.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Everyone should hear this

A world changing piece of work on the nature of the mind , nothing will be the same again.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Revolutionary Re-enchantment

If, like me, you despair of reductionism, over-simplification, the disenchantment and commodification of animals and the living world which allows the ruthless exploitation of the planet, this book explains why it is happening. We are half losing our minds, or at least the hemisphere that silently sees reality as a whole. Welcome instead to the machine!

McGilchrist is something of a polymath, a neuropsychiatrist with expertise spanning neuroscience, philosophy, phenomenology, biology, art history, music and literature.

This is therefore a highly intellectual and intelligent book, charting the modern cultural takeover of “left hemisphere” atomistic conceptual thinking, and the suppression of “right hemisphere” holistic perception. The verbose Emissary, has subverted the ineffable vision of the Master. We mistake our map for the territory.

As an aside, this is one of the best explications of the Phenomenology of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and others I know.

Clearly narrated (though some pronunciations seemed a little odd at times), this is a book of huge importance for western culture at this time, and the future of our planet.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

23 people found this helpful

Remarkable and important book

I urge you to listen to this book. The ideas and and theories here may give you an idea about a way of being and seeing in the world that will change your life. The central thesis of this work is compelling and novel (at least for me).

It is a long, academic and demanding book. I find that I often lose the thread if I am not fully concentrating, so I am listening to it for the third time now. But I don't mind this, as the book is interesting and well written, and I find the narrator's voice comforting. I have learned something new each time I listen to this book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Profound and beautifully written.

Profound and beautifully written. Only the pronunciation of the French and German quotes a minor irritation - hardly material as otherwise an engaging voice.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Resplendent

Alongside Jeremy Lent’s books, this has further blown my mind and given more confirmation as to why the world is the way it is and by extension (he doesn’t cover this in detail), what we can do reconnect with each other and the natural world (same thing) in order to steer a course away our march toward collective suicide.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!