Beyond the self Conversations between Buddhism and neuroscience

Beyond the Self is a timely book that should be welcomed by both the Buddhist and neuroscience communities. The conversational format makes for a jaunty read. The discussion is absorbing, informative, often astute, and at times entertaining. Ricard is a noted Buddhist monk who was trained as a molecular biologist, and Singer is a leading neuroscientist. Both men bring the best of their respective disciplines to bear in what is sometimes a difficult debate between science and religion. The reader will find no rancor or scorekeeping here. The authors share the common goal of comparing the Eastern and Western perspective of the mind and consciousness, and they proceed admirably in a most irenic manner. That said, neither author easily assumes the other's argument but instead challenges the other for proof and clarification. Dealing with topics as diverse as meditation, the brain, and epistemology, the discussion is a keen exploration of the nexus of Buddhism and neuroscience. The reading is, at its best, a heuristic process of leading the reader into fundamental aspects of human life. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. --William J. Pankey, William Rainey Harper College