Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Fascinating and very detailed book deep diving into the mind, and consciousness. This is a hot topic at the moment. Not an easy read for anybody, but very interesting specialised book by learned autHors.

It's not easy to review this book because it's complex and full of food for thought. it's more complex than the average informative science book and I was fascinated by what I read.
Great style of writing, well researched.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sometimes I felt like I just wasn't clever enough for this book, but I can't really blame the authors for that.

'Journey of the Mind' was not as I expected. I've read a fair few books by neuroscientists, and you start to notice a 'pop science' template after a while. But Ogas' and Gaddam's book focuses less on vignettes and case studies, using these more sparingly and more often for metaphor than examples. The authors opt for a more abstract approach instead. In less adept hands this would be a real struggle to read, but I found most of the book to be engaging (with even a small sharp edge of humour). It helps that the prose is so whip-smart and assured. There's also a very cool moment when the subject of AI is under discussion - you'll know what I mean when you get there.

What 'Journey of the Mind' does is give you a completely different way to imagine intelligence and consciousness. I wasn't always convinced (for example, I didn't see an explanation for the claim that chimpanzees only have a sense of self for as long as they have a mirror in front of them), but I felt intellectually exercised, and my mind feels satisfyingly broadened.

(With thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)