With a feverish pace and a candid eye for story, Consciousness in a Nutshell delivers an unforgettable account of what it means to be alive while, at the very same time, answering the question of all questions, once and for all: What is consciousness?

Consciousness in a Nutshell is a work of psychological mastery. A 21st century portrait of Nature, Nirvana, and what it means to be a human being. Written in the style of creative non-fiction, this multi-layered conversation spans the fields of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, cosmology, and evolutionary biology, all in the pursuit of explaining 'what' consciousness is.

Set inside a psychological thriller, this semi-autobiographical tale follows two young neuropsychopharmacologists on the verge of publishing a major breakthrough, when one of them (only identified by the name "Ava") winds up missing, and the other finds himself trapped in a room without doors or windows. Faced with impending doom, James decides to write a letter to a total stranger explaining everything he knows about the subject of consciousness in exchange for one little favor.