Product Description

Undergraduates everywhere have made "Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain" a top choice for learning the workings of the brain, its molecules and cells, and the systems that underlie behavior. The Second Edition includes a neuroanatomy atlas with a self-testing feature as well as new chapters on sex and the brain, motivation, and mental illness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #393036 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 888 pages

Customer Reviews

The easy way into Neuroscience
As a Neuroscience teacher I have seen a lot of Neuro textbooks, and this is the one that I recommend most highly to undergraduate students who are new to the Neurosciences. It is written in a very approachable style, covers enough important material to prepare students well for a 1st year prelim exam, but, unlike some other textbooks I could name, it does not swamp or confuse the novice with too much detail. Final year undergraduates or graduate students in the Neurosciences will probably want something more comprehensive, like Squire et al Fundamental Neuroscience, but as a first Neuroscience textbook this is among the best available.

A Comprehensive guide to a broad undergraduate subject
Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain is divided into twenty-four chapters, covering everything from the foundations of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology through to the complexities of memory and the neuroscience behind behaviour. This book boasts a number of excellent features. The diagrams are clear and colourful, with appropriate annotation and explanation. "Key Terms" boxes (which list page references for each important term) and self-review questions are found at the end of each chapter. To me, however, the most valuable features are the numerous "Of Special Interest" boxes, which serve to reawaken the weary reader. Examples of subjects discussed include: "The Frontal Lobotomy"; "The Longest All-Nighter" (sleep deprivation); and "Walking, Talking, and Screaming in Your Sleep". My particular favourite is "The Amazing Case of Phineas Gage" - a man who survived (though with interesting personality changes) an incident in which a 6kg tamping rod was driven through his skull and left frontal lobe. In terms of style, while Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain is not as concise as other texts in this field, it is easy to follow - the authors deliver the information with enough enthusiasm to keep readers interested. Originally, this book was written to accompany a neuroscience degree offered by an American university. For this reason it covers the subject to a level of detail which is perhaps beyond the requirements of most medical students. However, for those students with a particular interest in neuroscience, those undertaking a special study module or planning to study for an intercalated degree, this textbook is an ideal instrument to aid progression from the basics to the complexities of a challenging subject.

Most useful!
This is probably one of the most useful (And affordable) neuroscience texts a student could ask for. Although not recommended for my course as much as other texts, I have found this far more useful (And again affordable) than any of the recommended and core text books. Simple to understand with explanatory diagrams over several fields in neuroscientific studies. Highly recommended book for neuroscientists at any level