Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries 1st Edition

Boy...I wish I had had this book when I was going through neuroscience for my BS and my MS in med school! Too many professors do not realize that you cannot teach science out of context of history and social/cultural impact of the times in which the discoveries were made. So many times science is presented as the technological and mathematical sides of it, without portraying the human side of the story. Science does not exist in a vacuum, and despite what many 'scientists' believe their discoveries are not free from cultural and social bias.The pictures and photographs add to the interest level and fun of reading this book. I enjoy seeing the older instruments, the drawings done by the original scientists, and photographs of the man with myasthenia gravis who was given anticholinesterase drugs to help with his affliction. This type of information puts a human face on dry science. Ultimately it is the application of what is learned in neuroscience used to relieve the suffering of those with chronic degenerative diseases which I find rewarding, not just the science as an end in itself. In fact, most of the men who made significant additions to neuroscience and understanding of the brain were trying to elucidate how the brain works in order to help those with these types of brain problems.Finger does an excellent job. It is a long book, but immensely readable. Lots of information that was new to me, along with information that I had gotten glimpses from other sources (usually magazine articles in historical or lay science journals). This book should definitely be on hold in any university library where neuroscience is being taught, and if teaching neuroscience, professors should recommend to students to go and read the relevant chapters for historical background in this book.There were a few scientists I would have liked more information on like Wilder Penfield. I would have preferred more recent (last 150 years) then all the early information from Greek history. That is a personal bias of mine, and not a reflection on the author who had to make choices of how much to put in the book about whom. I plan on keeping this book where I can reach it for papers and for teaching. I disagree with the reviewer who complained about all the references. I appreciate the referenced information, so that I know where to go for more information on a particular topic. I also plan on making this book recommended reading for my students and for deaf students. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

Bought this for research, and it not only fits that bill perfectly, it's written with such evenhandedness, and eye for detail, it's also a pleasure to read. It's marvelous to get this sort of context and perspective on the pioneers of brain science.

As the author of a history of psychology book, I bought this book for the information that I'll be able to work into my next revision. Although I confess I haven't read it completely, I've enjoyed the parts I have read and look forward to completing it. Many of the characters in the history of psychology are fascinating, and this is also true of characters in the history of neuroscience, which is what Finger's writing about. He's done an excellent job in bringing his subjects to life. Strongly recommend.

Reads like a really long and detailed encyclopaedia entry. The author is weak on narrative - it's not a series of stories as much as a chronology.

I had already read this and ordered this copy for my son. Not sure if he got it yet, but ...

perfect

?Minds Behind the Brain? covers the history of our attempts to understand how we understand. Finger (the author) is a scholar (a professor of psychology at the University of Washington) who undertook the writing of this book because of questions from his students concerning the people behind the theories he was teaching to them. He begins the journey over 5000 years ago with the Egyptians and pulls up just shy of the current explosion in brain research, justly claiming that he didn?t want to discuss ?theories so new that they had not undergone the test of time or could easily be found in other places.? Finger attempts to humanize the people who have made major contributions to our understanding of how the human brain works. For instance, while describing Descartes, who viewed animals as ?beast machines?, Finger points out that Descartes had a pet dog called Mr. Scratch and that Descartes adored his pet but at the same time denied the possibility that the dog could ever truly return the affection. Finger winds his way through the scientific undertakings of people who both contributed greatly to our modern understanding of neural workings (e.g. Paul Broca) as well as those whose contributions seem crude to us now (e.g. Hippocrates 4-humor model) but are important nonetheless. The book is somewhat lengthy at just over 300 pages, but can be easily be approached on a chapter by chapter basis. Each chapter covers the contributions of only one or two individuals. The writing is interspersed with black and white drawings and photographs, generally to illustrate a point of anatomy or to show the face of the person whom Finger is describing. The academic inclusion of numbered references into the text detracts from the casual writing style that the author wisely adopted. In the end, Finger?s efforts to capture the history of this great human undertaking is largely successful and makes for a fascinating book.

Good