What do you think?
Rate this book
The Emergent Mind: How Intelligence Arises in People and Machines
A “deeply stimulating and disarmingly accessible” (Robert Sapolsky, author of Determined) journey into the inner workings of human and artificial minds
When we are trying to solve a problem, what happens? We find ourselves weighing arguments, or relying on intuition, then reaching a conscious decision about what to do. What is going on behind the scenes?
In The Emergent Mind, Gaurav Suri and Jay McClelland show that our experience is the tip of an iceberg of brain activity that can be captured in an artificial neural network. Such networks—initially developed as models of ourselves—have become the engines of artificial neural intelligence. Suri and McClelland aren’t reducing mankind to mere machines. Rather, they are showing how a data-driven neural network can create thoughts, emotions, and ideas—a mind—whether in humans or computers.
The Emergent Mind provides a fascinating account of how we reach decisions, why we change our minds, and how we are affected by context and experience. Ultimately, the book gives a new answer to one of our oldest Not just how do minds work, but what does it mean to be a mind at all?
When we are trying to solve a problem, what happens? We find ourselves weighing arguments, or relying on intuition, then reaching a conscious decision about what to do. What is going on behind the scenes?
In The Emergent Mind, Gaurav Suri and Jay McClelland show that our experience is the tip of an iceberg of brain activity that can be captured in an artificial neural network. Such networks—initially developed as models of ourselves—have become the engines of artificial neural intelligence. Suri and McClelland aren’t reducing mankind to mere machines. Rather, they are showing how a data-driven neural network can create thoughts, emotions, and ideas—a mind—whether in humans or computers.
The Emergent Mind provides a fascinating account of how we reach decisions, why we change our minds, and how we are affected by context and experience. Ultimately, the book gives a new answer to one of our oldest Not just how do minds work, but what does it mean to be a mind at all?
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
Audible Audio
Published November 3, 2025
22 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 25, 2025
To start, I am not a scientist. I am aware that some of my thoughts on this book can be wrong, uninformed and coming from not understanding this piece of work properly. However, considering this book is also meant for the general population, I will just go ahead to add my two cents:
- the concept is not properly explained. At the start the authors mention the neural network is only a model, not actual view of the brain, but then, during the entire book, they proceed to speak of it as if it was literal. Like they quite specifically speak in the sense that "this is exactly how the brain works!!". Make up your mind maybe? I can take a guess as to why this is written like this, sure. But as a "noob" into this topic, I cannot know what EXACTLY you mean as authors unless you specifically explain it. This is especially important when the book is on such a topic that you do not meet with in everyday life. I have studied journalism and sociology, I am not entirely a stranger to the concept of models, and even I had issues with this - much less a potential reader who has not met with these topics, ever. When you leave your audience wondering whether the BASIC idea of your concept is literal or not, you've already lost them.
- I do not think I've ever read a more boring book. It's not due to the concept, but the writing was just putting me to sleep, and it didn't matter what time of the day it was or where I was. This is not a scientific article, this is a book meant also for general population to buy and read, but it's so full of science-speak and expert phrases that for someone who has not studied this subject, the book just reads so bad.
- most of the book sources consist of other pieces of work of Suri and McClelland, so it's not exactly giving it too much of credibility when it comes to "you can double check this info from other sources" kind of thing. I believe they're trusted scientists in their own rights, but as a reader who does not know them, I cannot treat a scientific study on a "trust me bro" basis.
- the concept is not properly explained. At the start the authors mention the neural network is only a model, not actual view of the brain, but then, during the entire book, they proceed to speak of it as if it was literal. Like they quite specifically speak in the sense that "this is exactly how the brain works!!". Make up your mind maybe? I can take a guess as to why this is written like this, sure. But as a "noob" into this topic, I cannot know what EXACTLY you mean as authors unless you specifically explain it. This is especially important when the book is on such a topic that you do not meet with in everyday life. I have studied journalism and sociology, I am not entirely a stranger to the concept of models, and even I had issues with this - much less a potential reader who has not met with these topics, ever. When you leave your audience wondering whether the BASIC idea of your concept is literal or not, you've already lost them.
- I do not think I've ever read a more boring book. It's not due to the concept, but the writing was just putting me to sleep, and it didn't matter what time of the day it was or where I was. This is not a scientific article, this is a book meant also for general population to buy and read, but it's so full of science-speak and expert phrases that for someone who has not studied this subject, the book just reads so bad.
- most of the book sources consist of other pieces of work of Suri and McClelland, so it's not exactly giving it too much of credibility when it comes to "you can double check this info from other sources" kind of thing. I believe they're trusted scientists in their own rights, but as a reader who does not know them, I cannot treat a scientific study on a "trust me bro" basis.
Displaying 1 of 1 review