I was pointed to this book by philosopher John Searle's book _The Mystery of Consciousness_(1997), which collected his _New York Review of Books_ articles critiquing books by a number of important figures associated with the then newly-emerging Consciousness Studies field. It was only reasonable that Searle, who believes the brain is not like a computer, and whose controversial "Chinese Room" thought experiment showed that syntax without semantics is not sufficient to yield consciousness, would be drawn to Gerald Edelman's _Bright Air, Brilliant Fire_.
In additional to Edelman's main thrust, which is to summarize for non-neurobiology readers his groundbreaking Theory of Neuronal Group Selection (TNGS), a long addendum at the end of this book finds Edelman logically demolishing the mainstream neurocognitive model, which holds that the brain is like a computer. In the addendum Edelman also finds fault with what Francis Crick referred to in _The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul_(1994) as "black-box" cognitive science descriptions of the brain, which Crick also found unenlightening, and also Edelman explains the failings of the mainstream Chomskyian linguistic paradigm of an innate language organ. This book explains that TNGS can account for a non-computer mind and a non-innate language acquisition process.
Edelman lays the foundation for his argument with a simplified description of brain development, structure, and function, which are more fully described in his academic tome _Topobiology_(1988). He then goes into a summary of his TNGS as espoused in his academic tomes _Neural Darwinism_ (1987), and _The Remembered Present_ (1990).
Similar to his Nobel-Prize winning application of Darwinian selectionism to immunology, Edelman synthesizes a compelling biological applicaton of Darwinian processes to brain development and neurobiological consciousness emergence. He explains why genetic and epigenetic processes result in each human being's brain being unique and different from any other human's brain, and how that affects the problem of measuring the neural correlates of qualia. Among the topics discussed are what Edelman calls "value systems (this is a specific unique usage of this term)," which combine with learned categories and intentional experiences to form memories. TNGS demonstrates an embodied mind view of consciousness emergence. TNGS holds that brain function and development is best modeled by viewing it as a Darwinian process, including variation and selectionism.
In fact, the main part of TNGS is called Neural Darwinism. Francis Crick is known to have disparaged the term "Darwinism" as Edelman applies it, because it leaves out any putative causal mechanism for effecting such changes. Nevertheless, the basic ideas in Neural Darwinism are based on population variability through selection. To me that sounds like Natural Selection, a key point of Darwinism. It is known that by 2003 the two researchers resolved their feud, but I digress. The point is, Edelman's model is so well-thought out, so well-presented, that it must certainly be the one theory that will eventually prove to be the most accurate and useful description of consciousness emergence ever proposed.
The intended audience appears to be non-scientists, but specifically non-scientists who have a broad general background including exposure to the sciences and the humanities, with a large vocabulary, and graduate-school level reading skills. Edelman was often faulted for his dense, information-laden prose and convoluted sentence structures. A few times I had to look up some medical terminology or reread a passage before its meaning sunk in. But the somewhat difficult writing style is outweighed by the precise logical systematic order with which Edelman erects his argument. Each new part reiterates and builds on the previous one.
It does take effort to read this book but the reader is richly rewarded for doing so. This book made me realize the depth and beauty of Edelman's ideas. Reading _Bright Air, Brilliant Fire_ is a singular work of intellectual genius.
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