It is not very often that you encounter a book that alters, not simply what you think, but how you look at the world. On Intelligence is such a book. Jeff Hawkins develops a perspective on intelligence that makes sense of much of what I have discovered about learning over the past twenty years. His focus is on a unified model of how the cortex works, but in truth you do not need to have deep interest in neurobiology to see the power of the model. The book is very clear and readable, something I have learned to associate with Sandra Blakeslee's deft touch (see, for example, Phantoms In the Brain, by Ramachandran and Blakeslee). The heavy lifting occurs in the lengthy sixth chapter, "How the Cortex Works." You might want to skim this chapter or even omit it entirely on your first reading. It is well written, but requires a very thoughtful reading. The model Hawkins develops in this chapter underpins his view of intelligence, but it is not necessary to grasp the details to appreciate the power of the vision. If you have the slightest interest in the role of the brain in making us who we are, you owe it to yourself to read this book. I couldn't recommend it more highly.