I was thinking

Daniel C. Dennett

“A generous book by a figure who has had a huge influence on philosophy... Anyone interested in philosophy should read it.” Nigel Warburton, The Times Literary Supplement

"One of today's most readable, quick-witted, and scientifically knowledgeable philosophers." Nature

Who would have imagined that the life of a philosopher could be so adventurous?

Daniel C. Dennett, philosopher and cognitive scientist, has spent his career thinking about consciousness. *I Was Thinking* traces the development of Dennett's thought, showing us how we, too, can become brilliant thinkers. Dennett's relentless curiosity leads him from his childhood in Beirut to Harvard, from Parisian jazz clubs to telesophia on his tractor in Maine. On his journey, he meets and debates a host of legendary thinkers, revealing the achievements and misjudgments that shaped his paradigm-shifting philosophies. Dennett argues that thinking is difficult and risky. Indeed, all good philosophical thinking is inevitably accompanied by perplexity, frustration, and self-doubt. Only through error, on very rare occasions, do we find a way to correct it. This memoir, by one of the greatest philosophers of our time, will speak to anyone seeking an adventurous and creative mental life.