One Hand Clapping:
Unraveling the Mystery of the Human Mind
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble (US) | ThriftBooks (US) | Blackwell’s (UK)
Prometheus Books (US)
Swift Press (UK and worldwide)
Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin reveals how consciousness evolved out of the natural world, from the birth of the cell to the majesty of our modern minds.
“One Hand Clapping reclaims the story of life from a cold, indifferent universe and brings it back into the warmth of the fire circle, where stories make sense of mysteries and offer guidance for how to live.”
“Modern scientists tend to shy away from attributing rationality or creativity to biological or chemical systems, and from notions of agency or direction in life. Kukushkin reminds us the ancients had no such issues.”
“It is a thrilling paradox to have the human mind read this work and learn its own origin, yet Kukushkin conquers it with ease… an instant classic.”
“Brilliant, bold, and beautifully articulated, One Hand Clapping is the best of biological thought. Starting with the origins of life, Kukushkin deftly solves the chicken-and-egg problem, moves gracefully to the notion of emergence, and concludes with a compelling account of ourselves as curious creatures, co-constructing our cultural niches ― and all that entails for being you and me.”
Karl J. Friston
Professor of Neuroscience,
University College London
“One Hand Clapping is a fun, engaging journey from the origins of life to the consciousness of human minds. Kukushkin sees the magic in the world and helps the reader see it, too. But not the impenetrable magic that wallows in mystery—instead, the kind of magic that leads to better questions, and deeper insight. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understand the world of molecules and why we are simultaneously in that world, but also, paradoxically, beyond it.”
Michael Levin
Distinguished Professor of Biology,
Director of the Allen Discovery Center,
Tufts University
“Dazzling and breathtaking…. Be prepared to abandon your pre-conceptions as Kukushkin takes readers on an audacious journey across the eons of life on Earth to arrive at one of the most thorough and yet provocative accounts for what makes humans the species we are. One Hand Clapping takes the scientific concepts of function, emergence, and recursion to new levels, freeing them from the tedium of simply technical explanations into jaw-dropping moments of insight that will leave you shaking with revelation. Do your brain a favor and read this masterpiece.”
Bruce Hood
Author of “The Self Illusion”
and “The Science of Happiness”
“Possibly the theologians would see themselves here too with recurring echoes drawn from a variety of religious traditions.”
Richard Lofthouse – Oxford Alumni review
“The ancients had grasped this unity via philosophical reasoning. The Gita, for instance, urges you to see “one undivided imperishable reality within all diverse living beings”. Nikolay Kukushkin, neuroscientist and self-described “molecular philosopher”, discusses this unity with scientific rigour.”
Times of India
Хлопок одной ладонью:
Как неживая природа породила человеческий разум
Originally published in Russian in 2020
Alpina Non-Fiction (Russia)
PROSVETITEL 2020 (“Enlighener”) – WINNER, Natural Sciences category
BELYAEV MEDAL 2020 — WINNER, Nonfiction category
“One Hand Clapping resembles Kurt Vonnegut’s novels… Trying to retell it is like trying to whistle Mozart’s Requiem.”
Elementy.ru
“Kukushkin has a superhuman ability to hold massive amounts of knowledge, make surprising connections, and explain everything in simple terms.”
Asya Kazantseva
Author of “Who Would Have Thought”
“A brave attempt to embrace an immensity.”
Alexander Markov
Professor of Evolutionary Biology,
Moscow State University
“Probably the best nonfiction in the Russian language.”
Goodreads