<p> Who am ?I??<br> How is happiness achieved? <br> What is the key to memory?<br> How do babies become adults?<br> Is personality determined?<br> What function do emotions serve?<br> Are we hardwired to be moral? </p> <p> The mind is a riddle that has vexed philosophers, psychologists, biologists, and artists for thousands of years. In this invaluable volume, John Brockman, editor and publisher of <i>Edge</i>, gathers the world?s most influential scientists and thinkers to present their deepest thoughts and cutting-edge theories in short, accessible essays about the essential aspects of human consciousness and the complex workings of the brain. </p> <p> Contributors and topics include </p> <p> Steven Pinker on how the human brain works ? Martin Seligman on happiness and what it means to live a good life ? Philip Zimbardo on the impact of environment on personality ? V. S. Ramachandran on the question of self?who ?you? are ? Simon Baron-Cohen on the innate differences between boys and girls ? George Lakoff on the role of the body and brain on different types of reasoning ? Alison Gopnik on why human children are the best learning machines in the universe ? Jonathan Haidt on the connection between emotions, morality, and religious belief </p>