THE EMPEROR'S NEW MIND

Michael Jackson enlivens a philosophical audiobook that relates our minds to computers, but he gets in a little trouble when pronouncing obscure parts of the brain like "cerebellar gyrus" and "neuronal fasciculi." The sound quality may be too good as it even picks up mouth noises. Jackson's lively attitude combats the lassitude one might feel while delving into topics like probability amplitude, squared moduli, quantum mechanics, and nerve-cell physiology. The distinguished Oxford professor's mathematical formulae as presented in audio format may overwhelm most listeners. Since many of the ideas presented are vague and unprovable, we can see why the author admits in the beginning that his views are unconventional. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]