Siegel’s text is weighty material, packed with philosophical rationales and fresh, revealing examples, but he offers readers thought-provoking reflections on his path to validating dualism, a belief that “mind and matter both exist independently, and our bodies are somehow connected with our minds.” He shares the uniqueness of humans and our evolutionary ability to reason reliably about the world around us, as opposed to being simple products of “evolved matter,” using this development as evidence for dualism. Siegel also delves into near-death experiences as confirmation that consciousness and body are able to function separately—a direct conflict with materialism’s belief that “science can, in principle, explain everything.”

Siegel takes a strong stance against creationism (a “demonstrably false idea” he writes) and cautions readers against “drawing a halo around the word ‘religion’ and thinking that it is always good.” Spiritual experience, he contends, can be considered a “fluke,” though he argues that his perspective on dualism finds support in religions like Jainism. The second half of the book is dedicated to refuting proponents of materialism, including Christopher Hitchens, an “intellectual lightweight” who, Siegel asserts, dismisses eastern religions without merit. Siegel’s passion for dualism—and willingness to tackle its complex nature—will illuminate.

Takeaway: A thorough, clarifying analysis of dualism versus materialism.

Great for fans of: David J. Chalmers’s The Conscious Mind, Steven Richheimer’s The Fallacy of Materialism.

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Cover: A-
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Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
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