Release Date: 05 January, 2000
Hardcover
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From Book News, Inc.
New edition of a text that emphasizes the examination of behavior at the level of individual nerve cells by addressing questions as to how the brain develops, how nerve cells in the brain communicate with one another, how different patterns of interconnections give rise to different perceptions and motor acts, how communication between neurons is modified by experience, and how that communication is altered by diseases. The 63 chapters discuss the neurology of behavior; cell and molecular biology of the neuron; elementary interactions between neurons (synaptic transmission); the neural basis of cognition; perception; movement; arousal, emotion, and behavior homeostatis; the development of the nervous system; and language, thought, mood, and learning, and memory. Contains many color and b&w illustrations. Edited by Kandell, James H. Schwartz, and Thomas M. Jessell of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior (College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia U.) and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute.Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR
Review
"This is a simply wonderful book that makes accessible in one place all the details of how the neuron and brain work. The writing is clear. The drawings are elegant and educational. The book is a feast for both the eye and mind. The richness, the beauty, and the complexity of neuroscience is all captured in this superb book." "5 Stars!"
Book Description
Now in resplendent color, the new edition continues to define the latest in the scientific understanding of the brain, the nervous system, and human behavior. Each chapter is thoroughly revised and includes the impact of molecular biology in the mechanisms underlying developmental processes and in the pathogenesis of disease. Important features to this edition include a new chapter - Genes and Behavior; a complete updating of development of the nervous system; the genetic basis of neurological and psychiatric disease; cognitive neuroscience of perception, planning, action, motivation and memory; ion channel mechanisms; and much more.
Book Info
College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Comprehensive textbook for medical students. Encourages the study of behavior in a way that unites it social and biological dimensions. Previous edition: c1991. Added to Brandon-Hill Medical List in April 2001.
About the Author
Eric R. Kandel, MD (Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York) James H. Schwartz, MD, PhD (Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York) Thomas M. Jessell, PhD (Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York)--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Rating 4.5
Adequate ResourceThis text is great for basic information, but isn't practical if you are pursuing neuroscience. While it goes over a wide range of topics, it never goes in depth.
If you have a lot of questions, you may want to consider a more advanced neural science text book. A useful reference, but not a good textThis massive book has lots of useful information and informative figures, and the decent index makes it highly likely that you will find what you need. However, using it as a textbook for a course is a ridiculous thing to do, especially if it's an undergraduate course. The amount of material is simply overwhelming, and it would discourage students from pursuing a career in neural science. If you are a neurobiology teacher and are considering using this text in your course, please reconsider. In my opinion (as a neurobiology teacher), a concise and readable text is far more effective.Introductory & Intermediate NeurosciencesI used this in medical school, then graduate school, finding the length and quality improve with succeeding editions of the volume. Very well known chapter editors create a 'Scientific American-like' view of the Basic Neurosciences. This book is grossly inadequate if you want to pass medical and graduate school exams. It's like a "candy-coated" atlas of neuroscience. There are not many rigorous equations to learn in the book. For that you will need From Neuron to Brain or even a higher book such as Theoretical Neuroscience. The strength of this book is the beautiful color illustrations. Its weakness is that it does not cover "hard-core" electrophysiology. Ohm's Law and the cable theory of the squid giant axon are covered, but where is Heisenberg-James' Theory of the quantum vesicle exocytosis, 'HJ' Theory of the Mind, and Boolean algebra. No mention of these ideas. You would have to go to Sir John Eccles' The Self & Control of its Brain, as well as Henry Stapps Mind, Brain, & Quantum Mechanics for further expansion on such theories. Also, where is Bayes Theorem and a discussion of probabilistic Populations of Neurons. Entropy is not discussed. A useful reference is Information Theory & the Brain by Baddeley for this. Ballistic, and Biofeedback are not discussed. Refer to Roger Carpenters' Movements of the Eyes & Neurophysiology 4th ed. Magnetic Stimulation and fMRI are alluded to but not incorporated as valid tools in the study of the Nervous System. Alan Kingstone with UBC, Vancouver, Canada has written a good reference on this. I have not really used this book since graduate school. This text is a very good overview of Neuroscience ranging from cell biology of neurons, ion channel physiology, to Movement Control, to Cognition & Memory. Phenomena like LTP & LTD have their own individual chapters. I still own this book and will keep it as a nice reference even though I do not refer much to it in my daily work. |
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