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Antonio Damasio asks how consciousness first arose. He asks why it needs feeling to exist. He links it to homeostasis. This is the body's work of keeping itself in balance. In his view, the brain alone cannot explain the conscious mind. Parts outside nerve tissue play a key role too. The senses link these parts with the brain.

This science book is for readers curious about the mind. It looks at how the mind evolved. Damasio is a neurologist and philosopher. He starts with how consciousness arose, not how to define it. He argues that humans are not the only conscious beings. But no being can be conscious without feeling. This view also bears on fears about artificial intelligence and its future.

The book puts emotions and feelings at the core of mental life. Drives and moods share that role. They help explain how we act and think. They also help explain our sense of self. Alexandru Babeș translated this edition. It is part of the publisher's science series.