Sentience

"It takes a special kind of person to write illuminatingly about consciousness—a person who is not only steeped in cognitive science, biology, and philosophy, but also has a fertile imagination, an openness to new ideas, and a sensitivity to the richness and variety of experience in humans and other animals. Nicholas Humphrey is such a person, and in his new book he cements his claim to be one of the most insightful writers on this notoriously difficult topic. Sentience is a beautifully written book, full of engaging vignettes, original ideas, and intriguing suggestions. It will fascinate general readers and inspire academic researchers."

Keith Frankish, philosopher of mind; author of Illusionism as a Theory of Consciousness

"For half a century, Nick Humphrey has been a hugely influential figure across the fields of experimental psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, and, for my money, is the most inventive psychological thinker of his generation. Taking a long view of his entire scientific career and peppered with brilliant anecdotes, Sentience crystallizes Humphrey's latest thinking on the evolution of consciousness. There are many dazzling insights on offer, but, for me, the most eye-catching development is the formulation of a framework for diagnostic sentience-testing—in other words, for determining which other animal species are sentient or even in possession of a sense of self. How staggeringly bold! Imagine what a shock wave such a test would generate—scientifically and philosophically, of course, but also out into the political sphere."

Paul Broks, author of Into the Silent Land: Travels in Neuropsychology and The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Stars: A Neuropsychologist's Odyssey Through Consciousness