Book Review: ‘Intelligence in the Flesh’

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Updated 21 October 2024
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Book Review: ‘Intelligence in the Flesh’

In cognitive scientist and professor Guy Claxton’s 2015 book, “Intelligence in the Flesh: Why your mind needs your body much more than it thinks,” you’re in for a mind trick or two — and plenty of treats.

The book explores the idea that intelligence is not confined to the brain but is distributed throughout the body.

Claxton argues against the traditional view that sees the mind as separate from the body, proposing instead, that cognition — our thinking, decision-making and our comprehension — is shaped by the body’s movements, sensations and interactions.

The author claims that “over the last century, human beings in affluent societies have become more and more sluggish.”

He continues: “Millions of us work in offices, pushing paper, staring at screens, discussing proposals and re-arranging words and spreadsheets. For our leisure, we look at more screens, text and tweet, escape into virtual worlds, gossip and chatter.

“Our functional bodies have shrunk: just ears and eyes on the input side, and mouths and fingertips on the output side … Cooking can be no more than ripping off a plastic film and closing the microwave door. Our real bodies get so little attention, and so little skillful use, that we have to make special arrangements to remember them.”

He mentions examples of “remembering our bodies” by taking long walks in the countryside and working out at the gym. Machines have simplified our lives to such an extent that we can now operate almost entirely on autopilot. But have smartphones made us less smart? Certainly, technology has streamlined our routines and made our lives much easier — but at what cost? Have we voluntarily let machines take over mundane tasks and, perhaps unknowingly, allowed them to gain control over crucial parts of our brains? Are our minds going to mush?

This book attempts to answer all of the above. And then some.

Claxton draws on research from neuroscience, psychology and philosophy to support the idea that the body plays a critical role in shaping our mental processes.

He emphasizes that the way we move, feel and experience the world physically is completely inseparable from how we think and learn intellectually.

The book challenges the idea of intelligence as purely an abstract thing, advocating for a more integrated understanding of human cognition that accounts for the body’s role in learning, perception and even creativity.

Claxton’s body of work emphasizes the importance of resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness and reciprocity in education.

He often advocates for a shift away from traditional, rigid, one-size-fits-all methods of instruction toward a more flexible and creative approach.

He has authored numerous other books on the issue, including “What’s the Point of School?” and “The Learning Power Approach.”


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Paper: Paging Through History’

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Updated 08 July 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Paper: Paging Through History’

  • Each papermaker refined their formula to allow ink to glide but not soak, creating sheets that were durable and portable

Author: Mark Kurlansky

“Paper: Paging Through History” by Mark Kurlansky, published in 2016, is a sweeping, detailed chronicle of how paper, arguably one of humanity’s most versatile inventions, traveled from its origins in ancient China across continents and centuries to reshape civilizations.

Kurlansky, an American journalist known for his deep dives into everyday materials, traces how humans moved from parchment and silk to mulberry bark and linen rags. 

Oral narrators once carried knowledge across generations; paper allowed that information to outlive them.

Each papermaker refined their formula to allow ink to glide but not soak, creating sheets that were durable and portable.

The watermark, made from a simple wire design, left a faint imprint that branded the paper. That part was owned by the papermaker, not the paper mill, and customers began choosing paper based on those marks. 

Paper was introduced to Europe by Arabs, who brought refined papermaking techniques to the continent. Europeans initially hesitated to adopt paper widely because oral tradition was the preferred way to share important stories; they felt that writing it down cheapened its value. 

Over time, through trade and cultural contact in regions like Andalusia and along the Silk Road, paper gradually gained acceptance and became widely used.

Kurlansky delves into how the use of paper birthed various industries. It offered people with an entrepreneurial spirit the ability to make a living.

Papermakers changed the art world, too, with the introduction of special papers, such as watercolor paper. 

Paper also shifted the world of journalism: Broadsheets, magazines, pamphlets, almanacs and, of course, books became more widely available at a lower cost. Yesterday’s newspaper would also be reused to line things like bird cages or to wrap food with.

It helped popularize things like playing cards, wrapping paper, wallpaper, paper fans, greeting cards and paper money, and lent itself to important medical, legal and political documents, such as the US Declaration of Independence.

“Paper: Paging Through History” was such a captivating read that I often paused to reflect, and I told everyone around me about the book. One moment that stood out was the 19th-century French campaign in which women were encouraged to donate their old handkerchiefs and linen to papermakers, as it might one day return to them in the form of a love letter.

Today, paper remains a vital medium where thoughts, plans, and dreams are recorded. 

It might seem mundane, but in an increasingly digitized world, its ability to let a narrative stand the test of time is history itself, like this very book.
 

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Life’s Devices’ by Steven Vogel

Updated 08 July 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Life’s Devices’ by Steven Vogel

Life on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, the properties of air and water, and the behavior of diffusing molecules, yet such physical factors are constraints that drive evolution and offer untold opportunities to creatures of all sizes.

With an illuminating foreword by Rob Dunn, this Princeton Science Library edition of “Life’s Devices” includes examples from every major group of animals and plants along with illustrative problems and suggestions for experiments that require only common household materials.


What We Are Reading Today: Ridding the World of Landmines

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Updated 07 July 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Ridding the World of Landmines

  • Afghanistan and Angola are two of the countries, among other nations, with a large number of landmines

Authors: Kjell Bjork

This book offers a study on how global treaties can be used to establish successful national programs concerned with mine action programs, focusing on the capacity of world governments to implement the convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. 

Afghanistan and Angola are two of the countries, among other nations, with a large number of landmines. 

This book sets out to answer the research considering the disparate levels of success among countries committed to implementing the Mine Ban Treaty, according to a review on goodreads.com.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Laminar Flow Theory’

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Updated 07 July 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Laminar Flow Theory’

  • The Navier-Stokes equations, first derived in the 18th century, serve as an accurate mathematical model with which to describe the flow of a broad class of real fluids

Author: P. A. LAGERSTORM 

Fluid mechanics is one of the greatest accomplishments of classical physics.

The Navier-Stokes equations, first derived in the 18th century, serve as an accurate mathematical model with which to describe the flow of a broad class of real fluids.

Not only is the subject of interest to mathematicians and physicists, but it is also indispensable to mechanical, aeronautical, and chemical engineers, who have to apply the equations to real-world examples, such as the flow of air around an aircraft wing or the motion of liquid droplets in a suspension. 

 


Saudi author brings stories closer to home

Updated 06 July 2025
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Saudi author brings stories closer to home

  • Kendah Jambi has turned to local folklore and southern Saudi Arabia for her next novel

RIYADH: When Saudi writer Kendah Jambi released “The Epic of Frost” in 2024, she wrapped up a fantasy trilogy that had been nearly a decade in the making.

Spanning three titles published by Adab Book — “The Voyagers” (2021), “The Historian” (2023), and “The Epic of Frost” (2024) — the trilogy reflects a growing interest in Arabic speculative fiction and highlights her steady rise within the Kingdom’s evolving literary scene.

With the series complete, the 25-year-old has turned the page with a new project: “Khalil,” a standalone novel rooted in Saudi heritage and slated for release this year.

Author Kendah Jambi sees the current moment in Saudi Arabia as particularly significant for writers, with growing cultural initiatives under Vision 2030. (Supplied/AN photo)

Reflecting on her journey, she told Arab News: “In comparison to when I first started, it has definitely become a lot easier to write and complete a novel in shorter amount of time.”

Her works have resonated with readers across Saudi Arabia who seek her out at the region’s various book fairs. Jambi said that she is touched by the kindness they express and their connection to her works. “I have young authors flooding my socials daily talking about how my work inspired them to write and stay persistent.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kendah Jambi’s ‘The Voyager’ fantasy trilogy gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation.

• The writer’s next project ‘Khalil’ is a stand-alone novel rooted in Saudi heritage and slated for release this year.

• Her works have resonated with readers across Saudi Arabia who seek her out at the region’s various book fairs.

She added that her goal has always been “to make the world fall in love with the Arabic language.”

Jambi’s trilogy was published in Manga Arabia magazine’s print and digital versions. (AN Photo Basheer Saleh)

Her trilogy also gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation, which Jambi said brought new attention to the original novels.

This, she said, brings the story full circle as “The Voyagers” was written originally to be a manga series and ended up becoming a novel.

Her advice to aspiring writers is grounded in experience: “Always chase what you believe in, no matter how long it takes. It took me seven years to write my first book, and I never regret taking my time,” she said.

Jambi’s trilogy gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation, which Jambi said brought new attention to the original novels. (Supplied/AN photo)

While her earlier work leaned heavily into fantasy, her upcoming novel “Khalil” represents a shift in setting and tone.

“‘Khalil’ takes place in our modern-day Saudi Arabia across different regions. It reflects our heritage and traditions while being completely inspired by Arabian mythology,” she explained.

One such reimagining involves the folklore figure “Um Al-Saaf wa Al-Leef,” whom she described as “a witch who sits atop palm trees and eats children.”

Jambi participated in numerous book fairs in the MENA region, including the Riyadh International Book Fair. (AN Photo Abdulrahman Shalhoub)

In Jambi’s version, the character is still a deranged witch, but she does not eat children — instead, she has children named Al-Saaf and Al-Leef.

Jambi emphasized the importance of cultural accuracy in portraying southern Saudi characters, noting that her work “stays true to the people … I definitely made sure of that with help from friends native to that region.

“The characters are people whom Saudi readers can relate to as they hold similar values and have a familiar upbringing,” she added.

Explaining the shift from fantasy to a narrative more grounded in reality, Jambi said: “My pen is free and can go wherever it wants.”

She sees the current moment in Saudi Arabia as particularly significant for writers, with growing cultural initiatives under Vision 2030.

Maram Al-Samman, who read Jambi’s trilogy, told Arab News: “I see in Kendah Jambi a new and promising voice in Arabic fantasy literature … There are some moments that might lack narrative coherence, but her boldness in introducing new ideas and her creation of complex characters distinguish her work.”

Reflecting on her overall impression, Al-Samman added: “Personally, I believe her writing is worth reading, especially for those who enjoy novels that expand the imagination and open the door to deep thought.”

With the trilogy and her upcoming standalone novel sharing the same narrative universe, Jambi has created an expansive literary ecosystem where the fantastical and the familiar coexist.