' Required reading for anyone remotely curious about how they came to be remotely curious' Observer' Enthralling' Spectator What is human consciousness & how is it possible? These questions fascinate thinking people from poets & painters to physicists psychologists & philosophers This is Daniel C Dennett's brilliant answer extending perspectives from his earlier work in surprising directions exploring the deep interactions of evolution brains & human culture Part philosophical whodunnit part bold scientific conjecture this landmark work enlarges themes that have sustained Dennett's career at the forefront of philosophical thought In his inimitable style laced with wit & thought experiments Dennett shows how culture enables reflection by installing a profusion of thinking tools or memes in our brains & how language turbocharges this process The result a mind that can comprehend the questions it poses has emerged from a process of cultural evolution An agenda-setting book for a new generation of philosophers & thinkers From Bacteria to Bach & Back is essential for anyone who hopes to understand human creativity in all its applications