The River of Consciousness

How does our memory work, and can we trust it? Why does time sometimes seem to run, and at other times it slows down? Can we blame plagiarists for stealing ideas?

Oliver Sacks invites you on an exciting journey through the mysteries of consciousness, perception, and creativity—revealing unexpected connections between science, history, and the human mind.

How much truth is in the joke: “He lies like an eyewitness”? And can we trust our own memory?

Paradoxes of time perception: why sometimes it feels like time races, and other times it suddenly stops and stretches endlessly?

What role did the delicate primrose play in Darwin’s theory of evolution?

And is it fair to accuse plagiarists of stealing ideas?

The collection includes essays by Oliver Sacks dedicated to the peculiarities of time perception, the paradoxes of consciousness, and unexpected twists in creative thought by such scientific geniuses as Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, and William James.

Contents:

DARWIN AND THE MEANING OF FLOWERS

SPEED

THE ABILITY TO FEEL — THE PSYCHIC LIFE OF PLANTS AND WORMS

ANOTHER PATH — FREUD AS A NEUROLOGIST

MEMORY DISTORTIONS

SORRY, I MISHEARD

CREATIVE SELFHOOD

A GENERAL SENSE OF DISORDER

THE RIVER OF CONSCIOUSNESS

SCOTOMA — FORGETTING AND DISREGARDING SCIENCE