Michael Pollan explores the mystery of consciousness in his new book

Kendra Pierre-Louis: For Scientific American‘S science fast, I’m Kendra Pierre-Louis, representing Rachel Feltman.

Over the past three and a half decades, journalist and author Michael Pollan has written about a dozen books, many of which are in some way a meditation on what it means to be human and how we interact with the natural world. In his latest book A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, He tackles this topic head-on, examining in depth what consciousness is – and what it isn’t.

SciAmAssociate Books Editor Bri Kane spoke with him about his new book. Here is their conversation.

To support science journalism

If you like this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism Subscribe. By purchasing a subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas that shape our world today.