Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

the brain, 05 Sep 2008
a very good introduction in terms of getting you interested and it is fairly easy to understand. for someone with no previous knowledge of any biology it might seem a bit heavy but as long as you concentrate in the harder places it's not a problem. obviously it doesn't give a complete overview and some areas have to much or too little focus but it is an interesting and enthusiastic introduction which is a good way to decide if you are really interested in this kind of stuff, and if you are it points you in the right direction well with a further reading list. so if you have always wondered about how your brain and neuronal sensory and motor systems work this give you a good way to ease into the area, and will take you at most a two evenings to read.

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, 15 Oct 2007
O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behaviour in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg...", 17 Jul 2007
"...after all, the brain is stupendously complicated." O'Shea breaks up his Introduction into chapters on the history of brain studies, the workings of an individual neuron, the brain as a whole (each region's functions), sense and perception, memory creation and, finally, AI and bionics. Despite some parts getting a bit down and dirty with those damn `facts of the matter', O'Shea manages to write a pretty engaging book, as a whole.
Whilst some sentences, like:
"Ionotropic receptors mediate a direct and rapid coupling between neurotransmitter binding and the generation of a brief electrical signal in the post-synaptic neuron",
for example, can make simple fools like me say `eep', I say to you DON'T WORRY, FOOLS!, they are few and far between and happily compensated for with gems such as:
"Astonishingly, when I saw this demonstrated recently, about half the audience completely failed to notice the gorilla."
And again:
"One of the neurons responded when seven quite different pictures of the same actress, Jennifer Aniston, were shown; yet in an extraordinary display of selectivity and discrimination the same neuron did not respond to pictures of Jennifer with her then husband Brad Pitt."
Thankfully, O'Shea litters the book with just such little hooks. The letter-jumbling above is one example, the best though are the web-links like the `invisible gorilla' (unbelievable) and the McGurk effect. Pick them up as you read and they're like helpful extras which break up the prose and make it all a lot more like fun. I get the impression this book could have been soooooo boring in the wrong hands, but the man did good. If you're curious about the brain, this is a definite yes.

The Brain and Me!, 02 Jul 2006
Professor Michael O'Shea implies that the brain does the thinking!
It ain't so.
I, the PERSON, use the brain. The question is 'who am I'?
The BRAIN is a functioning, material part of the body.
I, as a human being, am the sum of the totality of this being, part siritual, part physical.
I know and love using my brain. I know and love a rose because I can see, smell and touch it, but I cannot get the rose into my mind, for the rose is physical and my mind is not: i.e. my knowing power is spiritual.
I am a spiritial being as well as physical. Important to recognise this when considering the knowing and loving powers that I have, centered in the brain no doubt, but distinguishable from it.
The professor does not appear to make the distinction.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

the brain, 05 Sep 2008
a very good introduction in terms of getting you interested and it is fairly easy to understand. for someone with no previous knowledge of any biology it might seem a bit heavy but as long as you concentrate in the harder places it's not a problem. obviously it doesn't give a complete overview and some areas have to much or too little focus but it is an interesting and enthusiastic introduction which is a good way to decide if you are really interested in this kind of stuff, and if you are it points you in the right direction well with a further reading list. so if you have always wondered about how your brain and neuronal sensory and motor systems work this give you a good way to ease into the area, and will take you at most a two evenings to read.

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, 15 Oct 2007
O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behaviour in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg...", 17 Jul 2007
"...after all, the brain is stupendously complicated." O'Shea breaks up his Introduction into chapters on the history of brain studies, the workings of an individual neuron, the brain as a whole (each region's functions), sense and perception, memory creation and, finally, AI and bionics. Despite some parts getting a bit down and dirty with those damn `facts of the matter', O'Shea manages to write a pretty engaging book, as a whole.
Whilst some sentences, like:
"Ionotropic receptors mediate a direct and rapid coupling between neurotransmitter binding and the generation of a brief electrical signal in the post-synaptic neuron",
for example, can make simple fools like me say `eep', I say to you DON'T WORRY, FOOLS!, they are few and far between and happily compensated for with gems such as:
"Astonishingly, when I saw this demonstrated recently, about half the audience completely failed to notice the gorilla."
And again:
"One of the neurons responded when seven quite different pictures of the same actress, Jennifer Aniston, were shown; yet in an extraordinary display of selectivity and discrimination the same neuron did not respond to pictures of Jennifer with her then husband Brad Pitt."
Thankfully, O'Shea litters the book with just such little hooks. The letter-jumbling above is one example, the best though are the web-links like the `invisible gorilla' (unbelievable) and the McGurk effect. Pick them up as you read and they're like helpful extras which break up the prose and make it all a lot more like fun. I get the impression this book could have been soooooo boring in the wrong hands, but the man did good. If you're curious about the brain, this is a definite yes.

The Brain and Me!, 02 Jul 2006
Professor Michael O'Shea implies that the brain does the thinking!
It ain't so.
I, the PERSON, use the brain. The question is 'who am I'?
The BRAIN is a functioning, material part of the body.
I, as a human being, am the sum of the totality of this being, part siritual, part physical.
I know and love using my brain. I know and love a rose because I can see, smell and touch it, but I cannot get the rose into my mind, for the rose is physical and my mind is not: i.e. my knowing power is spiritual.
I am a spiritial being as well as physical. Important to recognise this when considering the knowing and loving powers that I have, centered in the brain no doubt, but distinguishable from it.
The professor does not appear to make the distinction.



sets a standard for neuroscience textbooks, 02 Dec 2007
This is a great book by any standard. A massive amount of information in the vast field of neuroscience is covered in detail and synthesized in a coherent fashion. In addition to Eric Kandel's pioneering laboratory research, this book is one of his great contributions to neuroscience, and of course many other scientists contributed to it, including James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell. It's as good as the best textbooks I've read, such as Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell. It covers up to date research, in addition to the history of the field. Topics range from the molecular workings of the neuron all the way up to behavior. It's not at all dumbed down, so someone seeking a "CliffsNotes" version of the field should look elsewhere. I suppose, however, if someone just wants a summary of the field, he can simply read the subheadlines in each chapter. The book is lengthy due to its detail, but the intelligent general reader should readily understand nearly all of it. And in spite of its length it actually is concise in covering this broad range of subject matter. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

If only all textbooks were like this, 05 Sep 2005
Don't be discouraged by the size or price. This book is the best textbook I've ever read, its a shame it only covers neuroscience!

highly informative, 01 Jun 2004
This textbook is one of the most highly recommended on my course, extremely usefulfor a student with a large budget for buying books. Has lots of information on a wide variety of fields in neural science and physiology but is a little large to carry around everywhere aswell as being a little wordy and extremely expensive. Probably best to check it out in the library

Foundation book for neurology, 12 Aug 2003
All I can say is that if you want clear, concise explanation of neural systems, this is the book for you.

You won't get tired of reading this book.., 20 May 2001
This book has an EXCELLENT way to explain how the brain works, also presenting many experimental examples. It's excellent if you want to get a deeper knowledge of neuro physiology. Having already a basic neuroanatomy knowledge helps understanding better some points.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

the brain, 05 Sep 2008
a very good introduction in terms of getting you interested and it is fairly easy to understand. for someone with no previous knowledge of any biology it might seem a bit heavy but as long as you concentrate in the harder places it's not a problem. obviously it doesn't give a complete overview and some areas have to much or too little focus but it is an interesting and enthusiastic introduction which is a good way to decide if you are really interested in this kind of stuff, and if you are it points you in the right direction well with a further reading list. so if you have always wondered about how your brain and neuronal sensory and motor systems work this give you a good way to ease into the area, and will take you at most a two evenings to read.

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, 15 Oct 2007
O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behaviour in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg...", 17 Jul 2007
"...after all, the brain is stupendously complicated." O'Shea breaks up his Introduction into chapters on the history of brain studies, the workings of an individual neuron, the brain as a whole (each region's functions), sense and perception, memory creation and, finally, AI and bionics. Despite some parts getting a bit down and dirty with those damn `facts of the matter', O'Shea manages to write a pretty engaging book, as a whole.
Whilst some sentences, like:
"Ionotropic receptors mediate a direct and rapid coupling between neurotransmitter binding and the generation of a brief electrical signal in the post-synaptic neuron",
for example, can make simple fools like me say `eep', I say to you DON'T WORRY, FOOLS!, they are few and far between and happily compensated for with gems such as:
"Astonishingly, when I saw this demonstrated recently, about half the audience completely failed to notice the gorilla."
And again:
"One of the neurons responded when seven quite different pictures of the same actress, Jennifer Aniston, were shown; yet in an extraordinary display of selectivity and discrimination the same neuron did not respond to pictures of Jennifer with her then husband Brad Pitt."
Thankfully, O'Shea litters the book with just such little hooks. The letter-jumbling above is one example, the best though are the web-links like the `invisible gorilla' (unbelievable) and the McGurk effect. Pick them up as you read and they're like helpful extras which break up the prose and make it all a lot more like fun. I get the impression this book could have been soooooo boring in the wrong hands, but the man did good. If you're curious about the brain, this is a definite yes.

The Brain and Me!, 02 Jul 2006
Professor Michael O'Shea implies that the brain does the thinking!
It ain't so.
I, the PERSON, use the brain. The question is 'who am I'?
The BRAIN is a functioning, material part of the body.
I, as a human being, am the sum of the totality of this being, part siritual, part physical.
I know and love using my brain. I know and love a rose because I can see, smell and touch it, but I cannot get the rose into my mind, for the rose is physical and my mind is not: i.e. my knowing power is spiritual.
I am a spiritial being as well as physical. Important to recognise this when considering the knowing and loving powers that I have, centered in the brain no doubt, but distinguishable from it.
The professor does not appear to make the distinction.



sets a standard for neuroscience textbooks, 02 Dec 2007
This is a great book by any standard. A massive amount of information in the vast field of neuroscience is covered in detail and synthesized in a coherent fashion. In addition to Eric Kandel's pioneering laboratory research, this book is one of his great contributions to neuroscience, and of course many other scientists contributed to it, including James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell. It's as good as the best textbooks I've read, such as Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell. It covers up to date research, in addition to the history of the field. Topics range from the molecular workings of the neuron all the way up to behavior. It's not at all dumbed down, so someone seeking a "CliffsNotes" version of the field should look elsewhere. I suppose, however, if someone just wants a summary of the field, he can simply read the subheadlines in each chapter. The book is lengthy due to its detail, but the intelligent general reader should readily understand nearly all of it. And in spite of its length it actually is concise in covering this broad range of subject matter. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

If only all textbooks were like this, 05 Sep 2005
Don't be discouraged by the size or price. This book is the best textbook I've ever read, its a shame it only covers neuroscience!

highly informative, 01 Jun 2004
This textbook is one of the most highly recommended on my course, extremely usefulfor a student with a large budget for buying books. Has lots of information on a wide variety of fields in neural science and physiology but is a little large to carry around everywhere aswell as being a little wordy and extremely expensive. Probably best to check it out in the library

Foundation book for neurology, 12 Aug 2003
All I can say is that if you want clear, concise explanation of neural systems, this is the book for you.

You won't get tired of reading this book.., 20 May 2001
This book has an EXCELLENT way to explain how the brain works, also presenting many experimental examples. It's excellent if you want to get a deeper knowledge of neuro physiology. Having already a basic neuroanatomy knowledge helps understanding better some points.

Reasonably insightful, but repetitive series of expert consciousness interviews, 27 Sep 2008
Involves about 25 conversations with leading philosophers and neuroscientists on consciousness and free will. It's inevitably rather repetitive given the format (half the people give almost identical answers to why consciousness is an important or difficult topic, and what free will is), and there are times when both Blackmore's or her interviewee's conversations are rather unintelligent or incoherent. But on the whole it was reasonably interesting, with some useful insights and clarifications.

Very informative, directly from the best people on the field! , 24 Dec 2007
You get all the different raprochements on the relation of consciousness to matter: You get the theories of those who believe in gods, of those who believe in classical laborious science and of those who suggest a quantum raprochement. I strongly suggest this book because it opens access to many other writers and books, depending on which theories included in this book persuade you best.


Brief and kept incredibly simple, 30 Aug 2006
Roughly the same questions are given to alot of the most interesting people in contemporary consciousness research. It spans over psychology, philosophy, neuro-science and religion - and does so without getting boring.

It's spread out into the "conversations" and it's a very good-night read - but don't expect any real depth from it. Each conversation gets about 10-15 pages (if I remember correctly) - so it's hard to be anything but superficial.

Where it REALLY wins me over is in the way it creates a map of the different ideas and thoughts within the field of consciousness. It does this REALLY well, so if you want to get a grasp of the different ideas and paths there are to explore - this would be a great place to start.

It puts focus on free will and what consciousness really "is" - and how it is formed.

If you buy this book, please remember to look at the little dictionary in the back, it's got all the terms described in a way that almost everyone can understand it.

A synopsis of current theories, 24 Aug 2006
This is not a detailed book on consciousness. The author interviews most of the current consciousness theoreticians to get a flavour of their ideas and how they differ from each other. Each person gets about 10 pages or so, so don't expect more than a brief appreciation of each.

The language is also quite technical (-there is a glossary, but it's very short), so I would not recommend this as a first read on the subject. Being a series of interviews, the text does not flow as well as a book and is sometimes rather stacato.

Overall, this is a good synopsis on the current thinking : use it to choose the theory you find most attractive and then search for books by that author to get the real meat of their theory.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

the brain, 05 Sep 2008
a very good introduction in terms of getting you interested and it is fairly easy to understand. for someone with no previous knowledge of any biology it might seem a bit heavy but as long as you concentrate in the harder places it's not a problem. obviously it doesn't give a complete overview and some areas have to much or too little focus but it is an interesting and enthusiastic introduction which is a good way to decide if you are really interested in this kind of stuff, and if you are it points you in the right direction well with a further reading list. so if you have always wondered about how your brain and neuronal sensory and motor systems work this give you a good way to ease into the area, and will take you at most a two evenings to read.

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, 15 Oct 2007
O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behaviour in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg...", 17 Jul 2007
"...after all, the brain is stupendously complicated." O'Shea breaks up his Introduction into chapters on the history of brain studies, the workings of an individual neuron, the brain as a whole (each region's functions), sense and perception, memory creation and, finally, AI and bionics. Despite some parts getting a bit down and dirty with those damn `facts of the matter', O'Shea manages to write a pretty engaging book, as a whole.
Whilst some sentences, like:
"Ionotropic receptors mediate a direct and rapid coupling between neurotransmitter binding and the generation of a brief electrical signal in the post-synaptic neuron",
for example, can make simple fools like me say `eep', I say to you DON'T WORRY, FOOLS!, they are few and far between and happily compensated for with gems such as:
"Astonishingly, when I saw this demonstrated recently, about half the audience completely failed to notice the gorilla."
And again:
"One of the neurons responded when seven quite different pictures of the same actress, Jennifer Aniston, were shown; yet in an extraordinary display of selectivity and discrimination the same neuron did not respond to pictures of Jennifer with her then husband Brad Pitt."
Thankfully, O'Shea litters the book with just such little hooks. The letter-jumbling above is one example, the best though are the web-links like the `invisible gorilla' (unbelievable) and the McGurk effect. Pick them up as you read and they're like helpful extras which break up the prose and make it all a lot more like fun. I get the impression this book could have been soooooo boring in the wrong hands, but the man did good. If you're curious about the brain, this is a definite yes.

The Brain and Me!, 02 Jul 2006
Professor Michael O'Shea implies that the brain does the thinking!
It ain't so.
I, the PERSON, use the brain. The question is 'who am I'?
The BRAIN is a functioning, material part of the body.
I, as a human being, am the sum of the totality of this being, part siritual, part physical.
I know and love using my brain. I know and love a rose because I can see, smell and touch it, but I cannot get the rose into my mind, for the rose is physical and my mind is not: i.e. my knowing power is spiritual.
I am a spiritial being as well as physical. Important to recognise this when considering the knowing and loving powers that I have, centered in the brain no doubt, but distinguishable from it.
The professor does not appear to make the distinction.



sets a standard for neuroscience textbooks, 02 Dec 2007
This is a great book by any standard. A massive amount of information in the vast field of neuroscience is covered in detail and synthesized in a coherent fashion. In addition to Eric Kandel's pioneering laboratory research, this book is one of his great contributions to neuroscience, and of course many other scientists contributed to it, including James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell. It's as good as the best textbooks I've read, such as Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell. It covers up to date research, in addition to the history of the field. Topics range from the molecular workings of the neuron all the way up to behavior. It's not at all dumbed down, so someone seeking a "CliffsNotes" version of the field should look elsewhere. I suppose, however, if someone just wants a summary of the field, he can simply read the subheadlines in each chapter. The book is lengthy due to its detail, but the intelligent general reader should readily understand nearly all of it. And in spite of its length it actually is concise in covering this broad range of subject matter. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

If only all textbooks were like this, 05 Sep 2005
Don't be discouraged by the size or price. This book is the best textbook I've ever read, its a shame it only covers neuroscience!

highly informative, 01 Jun 2004
This textbook is one of the most highly recommended on my course, extremely usefulfor a student with a large budget for buying books. Has lots of information on a wide variety of fields in neural science and physiology but is a little large to carry around everywhere aswell as being a little wordy and extremely expensive. Probably best to check it out in the library

Foundation book for neurology, 12 Aug 2003
All I can say is that if you want clear, concise explanation of neural systems, this is the book for you.

You won't get tired of reading this book.., 20 May 2001
This book has an EXCELLENT way to explain how the brain works, also presenting many experimental examples. It's excellent if you want to get a deeper knowledge of neuro physiology. Having already a basic neuroanatomy knowledge helps understanding better some points.

Reasonably insightful, but repetitive series of expert consciousness interviews, 27 Sep 2008
Involves about 25 conversations with leading philosophers and neuroscientists on consciousness and free will. It's inevitably rather repetitive given the format (half the people give almost identical answers to why consciousness is an important or difficult topic, and what free will is), and there are times when both Blackmore's or her interviewee's conversations are rather unintelligent or incoherent. But on the whole it was reasonably interesting, with some useful insights and clarifications.

Very informative, directly from the best people on the field! , 24 Dec 2007
You get all the different raprochements on the relation of consciousness to matter: You get the theories of those who believe in gods, of those who believe in classical laborious science and of those who suggest a quantum raprochement. I strongly suggest this book because it opens access to many other writers and books, depending on which theories included in this book persuade you best.


Brief and kept incredibly simple, 30 Aug 2006
Roughly the same questions are given to alot of the most interesting people in contemporary consciousness research. It spans over psychology, philosophy, neuro-science and religion - and does so without getting boring.

It's spread out into the "conversations" and it's a very good-night read - but don't expect any real depth from it. Each conversation gets about 10-15 pages (if I remember correctly) - so it's hard to be anything but superficial.

Where it REALLY wins me over is in the way it creates a map of the different ideas and thoughts within the field of consciousness. It does this REALLY well, so if you want to get a grasp of the different ideas and paths there are to explore - this would be a great place to start.

It puts focus on free will and what consciousness really "is" - and how it is formed.

If you buy this book, please remember to look at the little dictionary in the back, it's got all the terms described in a way that almost everyone can understand it.

A synopsis of current theories, 24 Aug 2006
This is not a detailed book on consciousness. The author interviews most of the current consciousness theoreticians to get a flavour of their ideas and how they differ from each other. Each person gets about 10 pages or so, so don't expect more than a brief appreciation of each.

The language is also quite technical (-there is a glossary, but it's very short), so I would not recommend this as a first read on the subject. Being a series of interviews, the text does not flow as well as a book and is sometimes rather stacato.

Overall, this is a good synopsis on the current thinking : use it to choose the theory you find most attractive and then search for books by that author to get the real meat of their theory.

Fantastic, 07 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book, agree with it or not it cannot but fail to make you think. A combination of biology, economics and mathematics are used to explain why people do good, it's a fascinating book with numerous anecdotes to support the points. The theme of the book is that most people do good not because of some moral imperative but due to a underlying sense of self-preservation. Admittedly Ridley doesn't answer every question satisfactorily but even so, this book serves as a useful tool for helping understand human nature and reasons for conflict. His conclusions are little grandiose and self serving, but nevertheless his agenda is fairly overt and it's easy to read around bits of the book where his personal views intrude upon the science. Overall a fantastic read and one that you'll learn an incredible amount from,

Why be nice?, 14 Oct 2006
I really enjoyed this book. Ridley's aim is to answer an old question - "how is society possible?" - largely from the context of evolutionary biology.
For much of the book, his quest is to explain altruism - if our instincts have evolved to maximise the chances of our genes reproducing, then why should we care about strangers?
He starts with the genes themselves - each genome a cooperative society of individual genes, each individually 'selfish' but equally reliant on their neighbours for their survival. This introduces a theme that runs throughout the book - the division of labour - and gives some idea of why the book spends as much time discussing economics as biology.
There's plenty here on game theory and its use to derive theories of altruism (reciprocity and others). I was surprised at how far beyond biology Ridley treads, with chapters on tribalism, war, trade and property, for example.
The book begins by looking at Kropotkin's (flawed) theory of Mutual Aid, which sought to use animal behaviour to demonstrate that we are naturally altruistic, attempting to employ science to make a political point. By the end, this theory has been long dismissed, but Ridley bravely returns to similar territory. Having shown (and speculated) how biology and evolution can in fact lead to altruistic (or at least cooperative) behaviour, he draws the lessons for real-world politics.
I found this a great way to end - in an era where politicians seem as keen as ever to meddle in science, it's good to see that science can hold lessons for politics too, and good to see a science journalist unafraid to draw those lessons.

Why can't we all just be nice?, 15 Oct 2004
The truth is, most of us for most of the time, are a lot nicer than we might be entitled to expect under the circumstances. The circumstances being that our natures - our instincts - have been shaped from below, by evolution and our 'selfish genes' rather than above, by some kindly supernatural agency. This book follows on so neatly from Richard Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene" that he says, if there had been a volume two of that book, focused on humans, it would be pretty much like "The Origins of Virtue". Another thing that this book has in common with Richard Dawkins' books is its readability. Plain English at its very best. Not all popular science books are as interesting or as well written as this.

Matt Ridley argues that, even though our genes and evolution ensure that we are selfish, what has made our species so successful is our inclination to trust and co-operate with each other. We don't only co-operate with members of our own family (looking out for our own genes), we also help and co-operate with other members of our community and even total strangers. He examines the reasons for this apparent selflessness and his reasoning is very convincing. The main thread that runs through the book, upon which all the explanations of our apparent altruism and frequent treachery hangs, is "Game Theory" and, in particular "The Prisoner's Dilemma". According to this theory, we carefully weigh up (not necessarily consciously) the pros and cons of situations where we have something to gain or lose by co-operating, pretending to co-operate, or not co-operating with others. In these situations certain strategies work better than others, depending on the strategies exercised by the other participants in the group. It's possible to be too nice (selfless and trusting) or too nasty (selfish and greedy). Being very nice or very nasty works well when there are mostly nice people in the group but nice people/strategies don't last long when they are exploited by the nasty people/strategies. Everyone suffers when all the people/strategies are nasty. The best kinds of strategy allow for the fact that the other person's strategy is unknown: so start by being nice (co-operative, generous) and if the other person reciprocates, continue to be nice until and unless the other person cheats. Then punish them by refusing to be nice and co-operative. There are variations of this "Tit for Tat" strategy but generally, it's the tit for tat strategies that are employed by the most successful groups - and within successful social groups, trust has come to be highly valued.

To illustrate how selfish we have been throughout human history, often to our own detriment, Ridley lists some of the horrors our species has visited on our environment. Large numbers of species have been destroyed within a short period following the arrival of human kind in an area. The myth of the 'noble savage' is exploded. When homo sapiens first arrived in Australia, New Zealand, America and all the rest, species were wiped out ruthlessly and carelessly. Any notion of native peoples living in harmony with the land is a modern invention, contradicted by the evidence of recent (on a geological time-scale) extinctions. Convincing reasons are offered to explain this destructive insanity and they are to do with private and group ownership. It's argued that owning resources (like land) that can be controlled and protected (unlike herds of animals that migrate across borders), generates a sense of personal and shared responsibility. People will decimate resources that are deemed to belong to everybody in general (ie the state or nobody in particular) because if they don't use those resources to destruction, someone else will. That's "The Prisoner's Dilemma" in action. State ownership of resources and state responsibility for individuals can actually be the cause of selfish behaviour (deforestation, over-fishing and so on). When people have ownership and the ability to trade their produce, trust can be built up between individuals and groups and, Ridley concludes, "trust is the foundation of virtue".

This is a fascinating book, very densely packed with ideas, presented in a logical, coherent and persuasive way. Highly recommended.

We owe our success as a species to our social instincts, 18 Aug 2002
Does true morality exist? Does altruism exist? Does true co-operative spirit exist? Or are all of these mere examples of subtle selfishness? In other words: are moral, altruistic and co-operative looking people just acting these behaviors to manipulate others? Are they in fact being opportunistic and selfish? Many economists claim altruism does not exist. They would say that, even when a person would do a nice thing to another, it would be, in the end, for his own benefit, and thus be an act of subtle selfishness. He would do it to gain the trust of the other person, to make a good impression and build a reputation of friendliness and trustworthiness or perhaps to create a dependency. Most of economic theory is still based upon the idea that people are in the end selfish and opportunistic. These economist call this 'rational'.

Matt Ridley does not deny that individuals can act out of selfishness bu he argues that harmony generally prevails over selfishness. This book explains the paradox that our minds have been build by selfish genes to be social, trustworthy and co-operative. He says we owe our success as a species to these social instincts. He explains that morality is the stuff society is made of. In short his argument goes like this:

1. Society is important because is allows for divison of labor. It allows for people to specialize. And the sums of all our specialized efforts are greater than they would be if we all had been generalists. In other words: society is synergy between specialists.

2. In order to have a harmonious society, we have to be well-connected to each other. This requires us to be co-operative, social and trustworthy.

3. Being social, co-operative and trustworthy is a way to thrive and thereby an evolutionairy advantage. These traits are built into our nature by evolution.

Matt Ridley carefully argues his case. He uses findings from many disciplines like biology, psychology and economics. Very important parts of this book, and a delight to read, are the chapters where he explains the great work of Robert Axelrod (see: The Evolution of Co-operation, 1984) and the inspiring theory of moral sentiments of economist (!) Robert Frank (see: Passions within Reason, 1988).

The message of this book is important. One lesson is that it is wise to teach our children to be good, because in the long run it pays. If you only act rationally (in the sense of the rational man from economic theory) you can only expect to reap short-term benefits. Another wise suggestion is that we need to build our institutions in such a way that they draw out our co-operative instincts (instead of building mechanisms aimed only at suppressing our supposed selfish nature). Ridley: "Pre-eminently this means the encouragement of exchange between equals. just as trade between countries is the best recipe for friendship between them, so exchange between enfranchised and empowered individuals is the best recipe for co-operation. We must encourage social and material exchange between equals, for that is the raw material of trust, and trust is the foundation of virtue."

Inspiring material...

Coert Visser

Evolutionary psychology for the masses!, 28 Jul 2001
The title suggests a dry as dust ethics type tome; in fact this is a wonderful explanation of why we act in the way we do. Extremely well written - not only should any educated person have digested this but they'll have had an enjoyable time doing so.

Initial Impressions - not so great..., 11 Aug 2003
I've owned this book for a matter of days but have been disappointed. I'm a psychology degree student. Most recent essay - "Consciousness". However, terms like "Access Consciousness; Phenomenal Consciousness; Monitoring Consciousness and Self-Consciousness" are not included. The term "pseudoseizure" is omitted...to name just a handful of words I've tried to look up. I was also disappointed by some of the definitions, finding them too vague. Perhaps I need to give this reference book a chance, but for now, I'm not impressed.
Perhaps I was expecting too much...?

The Ideal book for any student or teacher, 20 Jun 2001
This book is a fantastic book for anyone studying or anyone interested in psychology. It helps find the meanings to many complex words used in psychology,etc. Coming from a student of psychology i have found this book very helpful for essay work. This book has helped me find new words and the layout is easy to read and easy to find any key words

The Private Life of The Brain, 01 Sep 2003
Greenfield's book is accessible to the general reader with an interest in the field. She herself is a neuropharmacologist, but approaches this book with an open mind. her multidisciplinary approach makes for compulsive reading.
She is tackling an area that is undoubtedly an intellectual landmine. She does it with humour, and delivers an argument both persuasive and personal, both touching and scientific.
You may not agree with every point she makes, but you will definitely be glad that you gave her the chance.

One of the many things that i enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is not huge. Many books within the realm of popular science are far too dense. It is a relatively slim volume that gets striaght to the point. There is an appendix and a detailed set of end notes for those that are interested.
Fans of Antonio Damasio's The Feeling Of What Happens should enjoy this book.

How the workings of the brain makes us who we are., 20 Sep 2001
Susan Greenfield takes us on a wondrous journey of the brain and the chemical processes that produce thoughts and emotions. By making it relevant to our own experiences of others and ourselves she provides an understanding of how the workings of our brains make us who we are. I particularly liked the way Dr. Greenfield uses her own personal experiences to bring alive some of the beautifully written explanations.

She has connected the science of the brain and mind to the behaviour of ourselves in a way that is accessible and understandable to the non-neuroscientist (I don't even have biology GCSE). As an engineer who thinks in pictures I would have benefited from some diagrams to help me understand the structure of the brain and particularly the different fountains of modulating amines.

The excellent "notes" for each chapter gave both further qualification of the narrative and good sources of further reading. I intend to obtain at least 4 further texts on the basis of these.

I identified with her struggle as a woman in scientific research and the limiting caution of research funding bodies, both of which she underplays hugely.

A thoroughly fascinating book. If you are interested in people and science, read this book.

Only reason I passed my exams, 06 Sep 2003
The "colouring book" series is a godsend to students tired of laboriously trawling through text books. For anatomy the diagrams are clear and accurate and the systems sections add depth of knowledge. I think they're great!

fantastic, 30 Jun 1999
Learn lots by choosing which things to share color...where are the connections. Overheads made from this book were just used by a friend of mine to present a lecture to neurology residents. He said they made his lecture a great success.

the brain, 05 Sep 2008
a very good introduction in terms of getting you interested and it is fairly easy to understand. for someone with no previous knowledge of any biology it might seem a bit heavy but as long as you concentrate in the harder places it's not a problem. obviously it doesn't give a complete overview and some areas have to much or too little focus but it is an interesting and enthusiastic introduction which is a good way to decide if you are really interested in this kind of stuff, and if you are it points you in the right direction well with a further reading list. so if you have always wondered about how your brain and neuronal sensory and motor systems work this give you a good way to ease into the area, and will take you at most a two evenings to read.

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, 15 Oct 2007
O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behaviour in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg...", 17 Jul 2007
"...after all, the brain is stupendously complicated." O'Shea breaks up his Introduction into chapters on the history of brain studies, the workings of an individual neuron, the brain as a whole (each region's functions), sense and perception, memory creation and, finally, AI and bionics. Despite some parts getting a bit down and dirty with those damn `facts of the matter', O'Shea manages to write a pretty engaging book, as a whole.
Whilst some sentences, like:
"Ionotropic receptors mediate a direct and rapid coupling between neurotransmitter binding and the generation of a brief electrical signal in the post-synaptic neuron",
for example, can make simple fools like me say `eep', I say to you DON'T WORRY, FOOLS!, they are few and far between and happily compensated for with gems such as:
"Astonishingly, when I saw this demonstrated recently, about half the audience completely failed to notice the gorilla."
And again:
"One of the neurons responded when seven quite different pictures of the same actress, Jennifer Aniston, were shown; yet in an extraordinary display of selectivity and discrimination the same neuron did not respond to pictures of Jennifer with her then husband Brad Pitt."
Thankfully, O'Shea litters the book with just such little hooks. The letter-jumbling above is one example, the best though are the web-links like the `invisible gorilla' (unbelievable) and the McGurk effect. Pick them up as you read and they're like helpful extras which break up the prose and make it all a lot more like fun. I get the impression this book could have been soooooo boring in the wrong hands, but the man did good. If you're curious about the brain, this is a definite yes.

The Brain and Me!, 02 Jul 2006
Professor Michael O'Shea implies that the brain does the thinking!
It ain't so.
I, the PERSON, use the brain. The question is 'who am I'?
The BRAIN is a functioning, material part of the body.
I, as a human being, am the sum of the totality of this being, part siritual, part physical.
I know and love using my brain. I know and love a rose because I can see, smell and touch it, but I cannot get the rose into my mind, for the rose is physical and my mind is not: i.e. my knowing power is spiritual.
I am a spiritial being as well as physical. Important to recognise this when considering the knowing and loving powers that I have, centered in the brain no doubt, but distinguishable from it.
The professor does not appear to make the distinction.



sets a standard for neuroscience textbooks, 02 Dec 2007
This is a great book by any standard. A massive amount of information in the vast field of neuroscience is covered in detail and synthesized in a coherent fashion. In addition to Eric Kandel's pioneering laboratory research, this book is one of his great contributions to neuroscience, and of course many other scientists contributed to it, including James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell. It's as good as the best textbooks I've read, such as Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell. It covers up to date research, in addition to the history of the field. Topics range from the molecular workings of the neuron all the way up to behavior. It's not at all dumbed down, so someone seeking a "CliffsNotes" version of the field should look elsewhere. I suppose, however, if someone just wants a summary of the field, he can simply read the subheadlines in each chapter. The book is lengthy due to its detail, but the intelligent general reader should readily understand nearly all of it. And in spite of its length it actually is concise in covering this broad range of subject matter. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

If only all textbooks were like this, 05 Sep 2005
Don't be discouraged by the size or price. This book is the best textbook I've ever read, its a shame it only covers neuroscience!

highly informative, 01 Jun 2004
This textbook is one of the most highly recommended on my course, extremely usefulfor a student with a large budget for buying books. Has lots of information on a wide variety of fields in neural science and physiology but is a little large to carry around everywhere aswell as being a little wordy and extremely expensive. Probably best to check it out in the library

Foundation book for neurology, 12 Aug 2003
All I can say is that if you want clear, concise explanation of neural systems, this is the book for you.

You won't get tired of reading this book.., 20 May 2001
This book has an EXCELLENT way to explain how the brain works, also presenting many experimental examples. It's excellent if you want to get a deeper knowledge of neuro physiology. Having already a basic neuroanatomy knowledge helps understanding better some points.

Reasonably insightful, but repetitive series of expert consciousness interviews, 27 Sep 2008
Involves about 25 conversations with leading philosophers and neuroscientists on consciousness and free will. It's inevitably rather repetitive given the format (half the people give almost identical answers to why consciousness is an important or difficult topic, and what free will is), and there are times when both Blackmore's or her interviewee's conversations are rather unintelligent or incoherent. But on the whole it was reasonably interesting, with some useful insights and clarifications.

Very informative, directly from the best people on the field! , 24 Dec 2007
You get all the different raprochements on the relation of consciousness to matter: You get the theories of those who believe in gods, of those who believe in classical laborious science and of those who suggest a quantum raprochement. I strongly suggest this book because it opens access to many other writers and books, depending on which theories included in this book persuade you best.


Brief and kept incredibly simple, 30 Aug 2006
Roughly the same questions are given to alot of the most interesting people in contemporary consciousness research. It spans over psychology, philosophy, neuro-science and religion - and does so without getting boring.

It's spread out into the "conversations" and it's a very good-night read - but don't expect any real depth from it. Each conversation gets about 10-15 pages (if I remember correctly) - so it's hard to be anything but superficial.

Where it REALLY wins me over is in the way it creates a map of the different ideas and thoughts within the field of consciousness. It does this REALLY well, so if you want to get a grasp of the different ideas and paths there are to explore - this would be a great place to start.

It puts focus on free will and what consciousness really "is" - and how it is formed.

If you buy this book, please remember to look at the little dictionary in the back, it's got all the terms described in a way that almost everyone can understand it.

A synopsis of current theories, 24 Aug 2006
This is not a detailed book on consciousness. The author interviews most of the current consciousness theoreticians to get a flavour of their ideas and how they differ from each other. Each person gets about 10 pages or so, so don't expect more than a brief appreciation of each.

The language is also quite technical (-there is a glossary, but it's very short), so I would not recommend this as a first read on the subject. Being a series of interviews, the text does not flow as well as a book and is sometimes rather stacato.

Overall, this is a good synopsis on the current thinking : use it to choose the theory you find most attractive and then search for books by that author to get the real meat of their theory.

Fantastic, 07 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book, agree with it or not it cannot but fail to make you think. A combination of biology, economics and mathematics are used to explain why people do good, it's a fascinating book with numerous anecdotes to support the points. The theme of the book is that most people do good not because of some moral imperative but due to a underlying sense of self-preservation. Admittedly Ridley doesn't answer every question satisfactorily but even so, this book serves as a useful tool for helping understand human nature and reasons for conflict. His conclusions are little grandiose and self serving, but nevertheless his agenda is fairly overt and it's easy to read around bits of the book where his personal views intrude upon the science. Overall a fantastic read and one that you'll learn an incredible amount from,

Why be nice?, 14 Oct 2006
I really enjoyed this book. Ridley's aim is to answer an old question - "how is society possible?" - largely from the context of evolutionary biology.
For much of the book, his quest is to explain altruism - if our instincts have evolved to maximise the chances of our genes reproducing, then why should we care about strangers?
He starts with the genes themselves - each genome a cooperative society of individual genes, each individually 'selfish' but equally reliant on their neighbours for their survival. This introduces a theme that runs throughout the book - the division of labour - and gives some idea of why the book spends as much time discussing economics as biology.
There's plenty here on game theory and its use to derive theories of altruism (reciprocity and others). I was surprised at how far beyond biology Ridley treads, with chapters on tribalism, war, trade and property, for example.
The book begins by looking at Kropotkin's (flawed) theory of Mutual Aid, which sought to use animal behaviour to demonstrate that we are naturally altruistic, attempting to employ science to make a political point. By the end, this theory has been long dismissed, but Ridley bravely returns to similar territory. Having shown (and speculated) how biology and evolution can in fact lead to altruistic (or at least cooperative) behaviour, he draws the lessons for real-world politics.
I found this a great way to end - in an era where politicians seem as keen as ever to meddle in science, it's good to see that science can hold lessons for politics too, and good to see a science journalist unafraid to draw those lessons.

Why can't we all just be nice?, 15 Oct 2004
The truth is, most of us for most of the time, are a lot nicer than we might be entitled to expect under the circumstances. The circumstances being that our natures - our instincts - have been shaped from below, by evolution and our 'selfish genes' rather than above, by some kindly supernatural agency. This book follows on so neatly from Richard Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene" that he says, if there had been a volume two of that book, focused on humans, it would be pretty much like "The Origins of Virtue". Another thing that this book has in common with Richard Dawkins' books is its readability. Plain English at its very best. Not all popular science books are as interesting or as well written as this.

Matt Ridley argues that, even though our genes and evolution ensure that we are selfish, what has made our species so successful is our inclination to trust and co-operate with each other. We don't only co-operate with members of our own family (looking out for our own genes), we also help and co-operate with other members of our community and even total strangers. He examines the reasons for this apparent selflessness and his reasoning is very convincing. The main thread that runs through the book, upon which all the explanations of our apparent altruism and frequent treachery hangs, is "Game Theory" and, in particular "The Prisoner's Dilemma". According to this theory, we carefully weigh up (not necessarily consciously) the pros and cons of situations where we have something to gain or lose by co-operating, pretending to co-operate, or not co-operating with others. In these situations certain strategies work better than others, depending on the strategies exercised by the other participants in the group. It's possible to be too nice (selfless and trusting) or too nasty (selfish and greedy). Being very nice or very nasty works well when there are mostly nice people in the group but nice people/strategies don't last long when they are exploited by the nasty people/strategies. Everyone suffers when all the people/strategies are nasty. The best kinds of strategy allow for the fact that the other person's strategy is unknown: so start by being nice (co-operative, generous) and if the other person reciprocates, continue to be nice until and unless the other person cheats. Then punish them by refusing to be nice and co-operative. There are variations of this "Tit for Tat" strategy but generally, it's the tit for tat strategies that are employed by the most successful groups - and within successful social groups, trust has come to be highly valued.

To illustrate how selfish we have been throughout human history, often to our own detriment, Ridley lists some of the horrors our species has visited on our environment. Large numbers of species have been destroyed within a short period following the arrival of human kind in an area. The myth of the 'noble savage' is exploded. When homo sapiens first arrived in Australia, New Zealand, America and all the rest, species were wiped out ruthlessly and carelessly. Any notion of native peoples living in harmony with the land is a modern invention, contradicted by the evidence of recent (on a geological time-scale) extinctions. Convincing reasons are offered to explain this destructive insanity and they are to do with private and group ownership. It's argued that owning resources (like land) that can be controlled and protected (unlike herds of animals that migrate across borders), generates a sense of personal and shared responsibility. People will decimate resources that are deemed to belong to everybody in general (ie the state or nobody in particular) because if they don't use those resources to destruction, someone else will. That's "The Prisoner's Dilemma" in action. State ownership of resources and state responsibility for individuals can actually be the cause of selfish behaviour (deforestation, over-fishing and so on). When people have ownership and the ability to trade their produce, trust can be built up between individuals and groups and, Ridley concludes, "trust is the foundation of virtue".

This is a fascinating book, very densely packed with ideas, presented in a logical, coherent and persuasive way. Highly recommended.

We owe our success as a species to our social instincts, 18 Aug 2002
Does true morality exist? Does altruism exist? Does true co-operative spirit exist? Or are all of these mere examples of subtle selfishness? In other words: are moral, altruistic and co-operative looking people just acting these behaviors to manipulate others? Are they in fact being opportunistic and selfish? Many economists claim altruism does not exist. They would say that, even when a person would do a nice thing to another, it would be, in the end, for his own benefit, and thus be an act of subtle selfishness. He would do it to gain the trust of the other person, to make a good impression and build a reputation of friendliness and trustworthiness or perhaps to create a dependency. Most of economic theory is still based upon the idea that people are in the end selfish and opportunistic. These economist call this 'rational'.

Matt Ridley does not deny that individuals can act out of selfishness bu he argues that harmony generally prevails over selfishness. This book explains the paradox that our minds have been build by selfish genes to be social, trustworthy and co-operative. He says we owe our success as a species to these social instincts. He explains that morality is the stuff society is made of. In short his argument goes like this:

1. Society is important because is allows for divison of labor. It allows for people to specialize. And the sums of all our specialized efforts are greater than they would be if we all had been generalists. In other words: society is synergy between specialists.

2. In order to have a harmonious society, we have to be well-connected to each other. This requires us to be co-operative, social and trustworthy.

3. Being social, co-operative and trustworthy is a way to thrive and thereby an evolutionairy advantage. These traits are built into our nature by evolution.

Matt Ridley carefully argues his case. He uses findings from many disciplines like biology, psychology and economics. Very important parts of this book, and a delight to read, are the chapters where he explains the great work of Robert Axelrod (see: The Evolution of Co-operation, 1984) and the inspiring theory of moral sentiments of economist (!) Robert Frank (see: Passions within Reason, 1988).

The message of this book is important. One lesson is that it is wise to teach our children to be good, because in the long run it pays. If you only act rationally (in the sense of the rational man from economic theory) you can only expect to reap short-term benefits. Another wise suggestion is that we need to build our institutions in such a way that they draw out our co-operative instincts (instead of building mechanisms aimed only at suppressing our supposed selfish nature). Ridley: "Pre-eminently this means the encouragement of exchange between equals. just as trade between countries is the best recipe for friendship between them, so exchange between enfranchised and empowered individuals is the best recipe for co-operation. We must encourage social and material exchange between equals, for that is the raw material of trust, and trust is the foundation of virtue."

Inspiring material...

Coert Visser

Evolutionary psychology for the masses!, 28 Jul 2001
The title suggests a dry as dust ethics type tome; in fact this is a wonderful explanation of why we act in the way we do. Extremely well written - not only should any educated person have digested this but they'll have had an enjoyable time doing so.

Disappointing, 01 Sep 2007
I became interested in this subject following the excellent section on vision, which had been written by a physicist, in the OU's course 'Biology Brain and Behaviour' so read 'Eye and Brain' as a standard work. I found the writing rather woolly and the subject approached from sometimes a philosopical and sometimes a psychological aspect with all the suspect reasoning and even more suspect experiments associated with those subjects. This book in its whole length does not even reach the level dealt with in the OU's course's seventy pages, and ignores much fascinating material and leaves much unexplained. I hate to criticize a standard work, especially one that has long been in print, but I cannot recommend it except perhaps for the very general reader.

Reference No.1, 16 Jun 2001
Lighting Design is all about working with the human visual system. This book provides a great deal of useful information on the process of perception written in a clear interesting and understandable way with copious illustrations of the problems encountered. This does make a good cover to cover read and also provides a good long term reference book.

Clear and concise summary of the basics of vision, 08 Mar 1999
Shows exactly why the eye is not like a camera, and has made me much more aware of the oddities of vision. As an architectural lighting designer, I use this book as a bible and read it more often than any of the books about lighting design. My old copy wore out, which is why I'm ordering a new one!