Holy COW I loved this book. The way it was set up was very fun and easy to digest. I have Conscious so this was a nice little follow up/expansion of it. I struggle sometimes to listen to nonfiction because my mind will start to wonder but the conversational manner that this was done in made it so much more interesting. Thank you so much!

It's fascinating and complex. So complex that I had a hard time following it despite the author's many attempts at simplifying it for readers like me. It's not just the philosophical conundrums, it's complex physics that might or might not also apply and have interwoven mechanics with what could be considered consciousness, if consciousness does, in fact, exist. So yeah, complex.

That said, I did greatly enjoy the format of presenting most of the theories and ideas as interviews with those who originated them. It makes things slightly more accessible. Although the accents did, at times, pose a bit of a challenge. Just had to rewind and pay even closer attention a couple of times.

In the end, I walked away with a million questions and a mile-long reading list that I'm worried will be even harder to comprehend. But I'm glad I read it because it is truly fascinating stuff, even when you don't understand most of it.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the listen!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. This is a very thorough review by the author of what consciousness is and how it works among humans, animals, and plants. It was a bit difficult to listen to at times, yet it forces one to think and analyze the concepts presented to form one’s own opinion.

Lights On is an engaging look at consciousness, with Annaka Harris guiding listeners through big questions about the mind and the universe. The documentary-style format, complete with expert interviews and Harris’s own reflections, makes for an easy and intriguing listen.

The production is solid, and Harris is a great narrator and passionate about the subject. Some of the ideas really make you stop and think, especially if you’re new to the topic. But at times it seems a little biased and very repetitive.

If you’re into philosophy and don’t mind a more open-ended, less scientific discussion, you’ll probably enjoy this.

Accessible title that explains scientific information in an engaging and insightful way

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely professionally produced audio documentary that follows Annaka Harris' study of what the nature of the universe tells us about consciousness. She conducts a number of interviews with academics in the fields of physics and philosophy and the debriefs after each with her producer. Harris is the wife of the famous podcaster Sam Harris who frequently explores consciousness as a topic. For those who are fans of Harris' podcast, they may find it interesting to compare his perspective and his wife's.

I found the series pretty frustrating. Harris very clear has her endpoint in mind and is mostly crafting an argument rather than exploring the topic agnostically. Additionally, most of the actual engagement with the topics is superficial and sloppy. There's quite a bit of speculative dorm room nonsense and very little mooring in actual science, especially the science that would be relevant to how consciousness is created (aka what is happening in the human brain).

Quite early in the series, Harris appears to incidentally or purposefully dispense with actual physicalist explanations of consciousness so that she can play footsy with panpsychism for hours. She does her best to avoid using the term panpsychism and tries to distinguish her claims from more stereotypical woo versions of panpsychism, but it's still panpsychism dressed in different clothes. And unfortunately she thinks the biggest threat to her ideas is the fundamental nature of time in the universe rather than the obvious fact that conscious experience is dependent on having a functioning brain. There is no recorded experience of consciousness in brain dead people.

The claim that is repeated over and over is that "consciousness is fundamental" by which she means consciousness is an inherent and irreducible part of the fabric of the universe. She bounces between saying she's agnostic about this position and then championing it - only to of course champion it at the end of the work. She never really entertains alternative explanations and only very latterly sees how very similar the question of subjectivity emerging from physical processes is to the question of moving from inert matter to biology. She very flippantly dismisses the idea that consciousness is actually doing something adaptive for humans. She tries an end-run around this claim by pointing to a physiological response (fear) that is known to be regulated by lower aspects of the nervous system even though people will explain it as a conscious experience. However, she never attempts to explain how non-conscious processes alone could enable someone to plan for the future, cooperate with others over time, or execute other higher-order human cognitive abilities. It's unremarkable to point out that much of human behavior in farmed out to unconscious brain activity that latter is assigned an explanation by the conscious mind. This doesn't somehow eliminate consciousness from doing anything functional. Moreover, if this was the case why are human brains always conscious (a reverse zombie problem - by the way this is a [silly] challenge to physicalism she did not engage). Evolution is thrifty. If it's not doing anything for us, it wouldn't stick around.

I don't want to seem eager to dismiss scientific research on consciousness. I think it is a worthwhile endeavor. I also think it is something that the science of the brain will be able to explain better than theoretical physics.

I loved how this was a true documentary! I loved the audio sound effects and enhancements and how the audio plays like a podcast or documentary more than an audio book or non fiction read

The topic was also very fascinating

What an Incredibly infomative audiobook. I've always been interested and curious about consciousness.
I've wondered what it source might be and how biological processes and matter came into play.
Annaka Harris blew the door wide open and displays the various current scientific points of view on the subject and of course shares her own.
The format of this audio book was extremely engaging and felt as much like a documentary in audio form as can be.
It also gave us a rare glimpse into the author's mind as she starts wondering about th epossibility of consciousness being as a much more important and central part of an understanding of our world.
Intriguing, facinating and very well preseented.

Engaging, accessible, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where psychology and science titles are popular.

Lights On aims to tackle the not so small question: what is consciousness. In this new audio documentary, the author approaches the question from philosophy, physics, biology, and psychology. Each chapter introduces new theories from experts in the disparate fields with the goal of triangulating a general explanation of consciousness.

I have been studying what it means to be human for a few years now. And consciousness plays a key role in humanity. So I inevitably requested the book. The overall documentary was positioned well and I was excited to dig in and learn what these fields had to say about consciousness.

Some of the expert conversations were however too clinical and advanced to keep up with—which was disappointing. I feel one key to a great documentary is to provide the “dumbed down” explanation right as you experience the big “sciencey” explanation.

I’m thinking Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers asking the “dumb question” for the benefit of the viewer. This dynamic was attempted with the show’s producer, but the timing felt wrong. The producer didn't show up until the end of each chapter. So you spent the whole chapter trying to parse out the take away and then determine your conclusion was incorrect.

Overall, it was a fascinating topic that could have used a little more production polish.

Lights On is a very insightful look at consciousness and what it means to be aware of one's existence, at some level, and where that first originated as certain arrangements of matter became alive. It is very fascinating and also abstract - especially discussions of reality, space-time, etc. This is a series of interviews with prominent thinkers from various fields that are collegial and very deep. There are some devices, like conversations with the producer to help set things up, but it is still very hard to dive into abstract conversations with limited context, especially as a running thread is the lack of agreement on common terms. This is all a followup to a previous book from the author, which it would probably be helpful to have read beforehand.
Nonetheless, this is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be alive and to be aware of one's surroundings, and how that manifests in plants, animals, and possibly even molecules as small as electrons. The concepts around our self being a construct and our awareness of the world being a limited slice of the actual world because of our imperfect senses and mental capacity to process information.
Overall, it's a great exploration of awareness, but there is probably a more basic entry point, but it's a great survey of various thinkers and fields and how this intersects with their research.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Annaka Harris’s Lights On: How Understanding Consciousness Helps Us Understand the Universe is a thought-provoking exploration of one of the most profound mysteries of existence. Narrated by Harris herself, this audiobook offers a deeply engaging and accessible journey into the nature of consciousness and its implications for our understanding of the universe.

In Lights On, Harris delves into the enigmatic world of consciousness, posing questions that challenge our conventional understanding of reality. She explores whether consciousness could be a fundamental aspect of the universe, akin to gravity or electromagnetism. Through interviews with leading scientists and philosophers, including Brian Greene, David Eagleman, and Carlo Rovelli, Harris presents diverse perspectives on the nature of consciousness and its potential role in the cosmos.

Annaka Harris’s narration is a highlight of this audiobook. Her clear and articulate delivery makes complex concepts accessible to a broad audience. Harris’s passion for the subject matter shines through, adding an extra layer of authenticity and engagement to the listening experience.

Harris’s writing is eloquent and approachable, striking a balance between scientific rigor and philosophical inquiry. She skillfully weaves together scientific theories, personal anecdotes, and philosophical musings, creating a narrative that is as enlightening as it is thought-provoking.

Lights On explores themes of consciousness, reality, and the nature of existence. It challenges listeners to reconsider their assumptions about the mind and the universe, offering new perspectives on age-old questions.

Lights On: How Understanding Consciousness Helps Us Understand the Universe is a fascinating and enlightening audiobook that will appeal to anyone interested in the mysteries of the mind and the cosmos. Annaka Harris’s insightful exploration of consciousness, combined with her engaging narration, makes this a must-listen for both novices and experts in the field. The audiobook’s blend of scientific inquiry and philosophical reflection ensures it will leave a lasting impression on its listeners.

I was listening in on a seminar back in undergrad and someone was giving a talk about the science of consciousness, and it totally had me intrigued, which is why I picked this book up. The audio narration for this was just excellent. I felt like I was having a conversation with someone who patiently explained all the science to me, an absolute novice. It felt like a podcast, which in my book, is great. I've never heard of an audio documentary before this and I think I'm excited to try more after this!

I did run into errors where the "book" wouldn't play, so I had to skip a couple chapters, which is why I cannot add it to Goodreads, but I'll be reviewing the rest of the book on my website (with this disclaimer).

Wow!! This was a really interesting book that taught me a lot of new things while making me think more about what consciousness and experience are. I really enjoyed the way each chapter felt almost like a podcast with various interviews, and each chapter was summarized well so the story was easy to follow. Each chapter covers a lot of deep information and research, but to keep readers interested they cut back in some places while giving a solid list of resources the reader can look at later.

What is consciousness? How we come to understand it? Can we truly share our experiences with others?

This is not a book, but an audio documentary that felt like a very long podcast. Harris is excellent at establishing definitions and locking down meanings before continuing on in her quest to explain and understand consciousness. This is a great documentary for a beginner to the subject who has a genuine interest in consciousness.

Thank you NetGalley for a prerelease of Lights On.

This audiobook documentary is an engaging dive into consciousness. I love how she weaves in the newest scientific research in an easy to consume and engaging way. There is something for everyone in this book - whether for consciousness novices and seasoned experts.

I highly recommend this book.