Save up to 20% on select gift cards
Buy new:
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: DISCOUNTED COLLEGE MANUALS
Ships from
Amazon
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Returns
FREE refund/replacement until Jan 31, 2026
FREE refund/replacement until Jan 31, 2026
For the 2025 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2025 can be returned until January 31, 2026.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Ships from the UK. US orders include tracking. Buy from the UK's book specialist. Enjoy same or next day dispatch. A top-rated and trusted Used book seller on Amazon. Ships from the UK. US orders include tracking. Buy from the UK's book specialist. Enjoy same or next day dispatch. A top-rated and trusted Used book seller on Amazon. See less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by WeBuyBooks-UK.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Jeff Hawkins
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence Hardcover – March 2, 2021

by Jeff Hawkins (Author), Richard Dawkins (Foreword)
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction

Purchase options and add-ons

A "fascinating book" that will revolutionize our understanding of the brain and the future of AI (Financial Times)

For all of neuroscience's advances, we've made little progress on its biggest question: How do simple cells in the brain create intelligence?

Jeff Hawkins and his team discovered that the brain uses maplike structures to build a model of the world—not just one model, but hundreds of thousands of models of everything we know. This discovery allows Hawkins to answer important questions about how we perceive the world, why we have a sense of self, and the origin of high-level thought.

A Thousand Brains heralds a revolution in the understanding of intelligence. It is a big-think book, in every sense of the word. 

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    1 year and up
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Dimensions
    6.7 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
  5. Publisher
    Basic Books
  6. Publication date
    March 2, 2021
  7. ISBN-10
    1541675819
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1541675810
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start over
Previous page
  1. On Intelligence
    Paperback
    Delivery Thursday
  11. The Society of Mind
    Paperback
    Delivery Thursday
  24. Principles of Neural Design (Mit Press)
    Paperback
    FREE delivery Sat, Dec 27
Next page
Loading...

From the Publisher

A THOUSAND BRAINS
A THOUSAND BRAINS
A THOUSAND BRAINS

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2021

One of Bill Gates' Five Favorite Books of 2021

“A Thousand Brains takes us on a journey from the evolution of our brain to the extinction of our species. Along the way Hawkins beautifully describes neuroanatomy and landmark discoveries in neuroscience… Hawkins keeps the reader constantly engaged.”―New York Times Book Review

“In this fascinating book, Jeff Hawkins develops a new theory about the nature of human intelligence and the recurrent dispute between our old instinctive reptilian brains and the think box contained in our mammalian neocortex. Hawkins also explores the consequences of creating truly intelligent robots, which he suggests is achievable within several decades.”
 ―John Thornhill, Financial Times

“Intriguing.... Insightful stuff for readers immersed in the labyrinthine world of neuroscience.”―Kirkus

"A Thousand Brains eloquently expresses the ultimate goal of thousands of scientists: to understand the mechanics of the human mind. Jeff Hawkins uses wonderfully clear and fast-moving prose to give an accessible overview of a theory of human intelligence that is likely to be very influential in the future."―Michael Hasselmo, Director, Boston University Center for Systems Neuroscience

"Jeff Hawkins’ book is that rare beast: A new theory about one of the oldest mysteries, the mystery of intelligence. The book is thoughtful and original, erudite and visionary. A must read for anyone interested in how the next breakthroughs in artificial intelligence will emerge from the recent (and not so recent) discoveries in neuroscience."―Anthony Zador, professor of neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

"Neuroscience has been exploring the wilderness of the brain for well over a century. With A Thousand Brains, at last we have a map. Jeff Hawkins takes on questions most neuroscientists don’t even dare ask, and finds answers in a new theory that explains now only how we make sense of the world, but how we are deceived. In a world threatened by the disintegration of truth into conspiracy and delusion, everyone should read this remarkable book."―Henry Markram, Professor, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, founder of the Human Brain Project

"Brilliant....It works the brain in a way that is nothing short of exhilarating."―Richard Dawkins

About the Author

Jeff Hawkins is the cofounder of Numenta, a neuroscience research company; founder of the Redwood Neuroscience Institute; and one of the founders of the field of handheld computing. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and author of On Intelligence.

Product details

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jeff Hawkins

Jeff Hawkins

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Jeff Hawkins is a well-known scientist and entrepreneur, considered one of the most successful and highly regarded computer architects in Silicon Valley. He is widely known for founding Palm Computing and Handspring Inc. and for being the architect of many successful handheld computers. He is often credited with starting the entire handheld computing industry.

Despite his successes as a technology entrepreneur, Hawkins’ primary passion and occupation has been neuroscience. From 2002 to 2005, Hawkins directed the Redwood Neuroscience Institute, now located at U.C. Berkeley. He is currently co-founder and chief scientist at Numenta, a research company focused on neocortical theory.

Hawkins has written two books, "On Intelligence" (2004 with Sandra Blakeslee) and "A Thousand Brains: A new theory of intelligence" (2021). Many of his scientific papers have become some of the most downloaded and cited papers in their journals.

Hawkins has given over one hundred invited talks at research universities, scientific institutions, and corporate research laboratories. He has been recognized with numerous personal and industry awards. He is considered a true visionary by many and has a loyal following – spanning scientists, technologists, and business leaders. Jeff was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2003.