In Sherrington's Loom, Alan McComas provides a historical account of the research that has led to recognition of key mechanisms underlying consciousness. Evidence is assembled from a rich variety of sources - neurological patients, animal behavior, laboratory studies, and especially brain stimulation and recording in humans and animals. Among the remarkable advances in the field has been the ability to identify nerve cells in the human brain that store memories of specific people, places, and objects. In addition to dealing with the issue of "free will," the book assembles the information into possible working models for sensations, intentions, and actions. McComas concludes by considering the possibility of consciousness in artificially intelligent systems.

Alan J. McComas' profile page

Alan McComas was born in Western Australia and educated in Britain, gaining degrees in physiology, medicine, and surgery at Durham University. Following postdoctoral studies at University College London and the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, he established a muscle and nerve research laboratory at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1971 he was appointed Professor of Medicine and Head of Neurology at McMaster University in Canada, where he has remained ever since. One of the first to record from single units in the human thalamus, Alan McComas has continued an active interest in brain neurophysiology, including the neural basis of migraine. Among other pioneering achievements he is known for having developed electrophysiological methods for estimating the numbers and types of motor nerve cell in the live human spinal cord and brain stem. The author of the 2014 award-winning Galvani's Spark: The Story of the Nerve Impulse (OUP, 2011), Alan McComas has published some 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and other articles.

"McComas has weaved a fascinating story on the complex science of consciousness. He has made this an engaging read even to non-experts by shedding light on the personalities and relationships between those who have made key contributions to the field."

--Ming Chan, MD, Professor, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Canada

"This book can be seen as an outstanding introduction to the study of consciousness. All-important concepts are clearly exposed and refer to original works towards which students can turn for more in-depth or specific study. The synthesis leads to clever and well-supported conclusions. This combination of a synthetic but complete overview of scientific questions with broad knowledge of the personal history of the actors involved is quite unique. Only very few people have the necessary skills, personal contacts, and experience required for the task."

--Jean Delbeke, PhD, MD, Academic Consultant to the University of Ghent, Belgium

"Sherrington's Loom is a masterpiece. It will be read widely, including by upper division undergraduates who are now quite advanced in Canada and the United States in their understanding of neuroscience."

--Douglas Stuart, PhD, Regents' Professor at the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

"McComas is able to discuss neural activity in a very engaging style that never becomes so complex that the beauty of the mechanisms and process become lost."

--Adrian Upton, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine (Neurology), McMaster University, Canada

"McComas guides us on a magnificent journey through the contributions that have led to our deeper understanding of the brain. This book should be read by neuroscientists, philosophers, and ethicists, and by anyone with a curious mind."

--Jon Stoessl, MD, Professor and Head of Neurology, and Co-Director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada