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The book describes a common ground between the biology of life and the humanity of life without compromising either discipline. It attempts to bridge the gap between our "two cultures" — the sciences and the humanities, as advocated by C P Snow fifty years ago. This book connects our meager existence to the entire living world and the universe, physically and spiritually, through the simple perspective of "self," being defined as a system that seeks its own perpetuation.

• Introduction: Why Self?
• An Astronaut's Dilemma
• Self and the Beginning of Life
• The Microbial Self
• The Plant Self
• The Animal Self: Molecular Recognition
• The Animal Self: Neurobehavioral Correlates
• Self and Conscious Experience
• Self and Emotion
• Self and Memory
• Self and Free Will
• The Expanded Self: Society as Self
• Self from Within: The Introspective Self
• Self, Realities, and the Transcendents
• Epilogue: And the Quest Goes On

Self And The Phenomenon Of Life: A Biologist Examines Life From Molecules To Humanity