Synopses & Reviews
In this pathbreaking book, one of Britainand#8217;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, and#147;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.and#8221; Readers will delight that this is precisely what he accomplishes.
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The voyage begins with a meditation on the self-portrait of a mirror image, followed by a consideration of the headand#8217;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 and#147;havingand#8221; and and#147;usingand#8221; oneand#8217;s head, and enjoying and suffering it. Tallis concludes with his thoughts on the very thing the readerand#8217;s head has been doing throughout the book: thinking.
Review
“Tallis has succeeded in illuminating life through an unflinching look at death and the dying process. This book is an entirely new approach that challenges the reader to consider looking death squarely in the face in order to enrich one’s living experience.”—Eric Pfeiffer, M.D., author of Caregiving in Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias and Winning Strategies for Successful Aging
Review
“The Black Mirror succeeds in capturing the smallness and simultaneous vastness of a single life.”—Financial Times
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.
Synopsis
A joyful tour of the human head and of what we make of the astonishing processes that take place within it
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.
Synopsis
A physician-philosopher celebrates the mystery and delight of everyday life from an imagined posthumous perspective
Synopsis
In this beautifully written personal meditation on life and living, Raymond Tallis reflects on the fundamental fact of existence: that it is finite. Inspired by E. M. Forster’s thought that “Death destroys a man but the idea of it saves him,” Tallis invites readers to look back on their lives from a unique standpoint: one’s own future corpse. From this perspective, he shows, the world now vacated can be seen most clearly in all its richness and complexity.
Tallis blends lyrical reflection, humor, and the occasional philosophical argument as he explores his own postmortem recollections. He considers the biological processes and the senses that opened up his late world and the million-nooked space in which he passed his life. His inert, dispossessed body highlights his ceaseless activity in life, the mind-boggling inventory of his possessions, and the togetherness and apartness that characterized his relationships in the material and social worlds. Tallis also touches on the idea of a posthumous life in the memories of those who outlive him. Readers who accompany Tallis as he considers his life through death will appreciate with new intensity the precariousness and preciousness of life, for here he succeeds in his endeavor to make “the shining hour” shine more brightly.
About the Author
Raymond Tallis is a poet, novelist, and philosopher as well as former professor of geriatric medicine and consultant physician. He has published some 200 research articles on the neurology of old age and neurological rehabilitation. He is also author of more than two dozen books on the philosophy of mind, philosophical anthropology, literary theory, the nature of art, and cultural criticism. He lives in Stockport, UK.