Customer Reviews

Advice for a Young Investigator (Bradford Books)

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Santiago Ramon y Cajal's achievement, the neuronal doctrine -undoubtedly the foundation of all relevant knowledge about the nervous systems, including the human brain-, was not the product of teamwork, technology or fashion. It was the achievement of his educated insight and uncomparable dedication. Scholars in the field of psychology teach us that advice can be interpreted as an attempt to justify the thoughts and actions of its originator. It seems inevitable that this work should reflect Cajal's disillusions with the institutionalization of mediocrity and with the arbitrariness of academic hierarchy. Surely, today, readers in numerous parts of the world will find these commonplace. Yet, Cajal's voice sounds as loud and clear as ever as a guiding light in the obscure path of human accomplishment. It will prevent any cultured reason from originating the kind of monsters that arise from its dreams. The book will -quoting Lucian- "...ornament your soul with what concerns you most: temperance, justice, piety, kindliness, reasonableness, understanding, steadfastness, love of all that is beautiful, ardour towards all that is sublime; for these are the truly flawless jewels of the soul... for though you yourself depart from life, you will never cease associating with men of education and conversing with men of eminence".

I have returned to these pages constantly since I was in medical school.

Recommended to lay people or scientists alike of an inquisitive nature who disregard authority, distrust officiality, wish to create, and consider themselves perpetual students of men and nature. A vey useful resource, too, when things go wrong in the lab.

Too often our science is cleaned and polished to the point that it appears logical and quite easy. This remarkable monograph gives a much clearer view of the strenuous, adventurous, and often confusing nature of actually being a pioneer. It explores the social and political nature of scientific advance in a remarkably honest way, and each chapter rings true to the ears of a practicing neurobiologist today. It has quickly become favorite reading and the subject of discussion at our university, and is a must read for anyone interested in the actual craft of doing biology.

A good book captures the time in which it was written, and preserves that time for the future. A great book describes all times. Most of this book is great, current and pertinent a century after its first edition.

I was glad to see a scientist describe science as a personal, passionate, maybe even religious act. He describes the progress of a life in science, from young researcher, to professional, teacher, and finally retiree. At every step, he describes the emotional, social, and even spiritual value of that stage of life. Best, he speaks from an acknowledged place within the world of science.

Only a few parts of this book seem dated. Many specifics of a biologist's education have changed, though some - like the Zeiss brand name - have not. Marie Curie notwithstanding, he assumed that men would generally make or direct the real contributions. Women mattered mostly as support for the husband, though he did note that educated and professional women might be the most understanding company.

What he says about scientists is equally true about serious artists - the dedication, intellectual honesty, and rewards are much the same. His examples are nearly all drawn from the sciences, though. That may prevent artists from seeing themselves in his descriptions and prescriptions.

This book is true inspiration. I can't wait to pass it along.

In this brief, well composed work, Cajal- a most notable scientist in his own right, outlines his thoughts on what it takes to succeed in science. In fact he covers most of the intangable information that I seem to remember learning in graduate school. Not a bad deal, a few nights reading as opposed to 7 years of indentured servitude.

More seriously, Cajal has a clear idea of what it means to be a scientist and what it takes to be a successful practitioner. He even provides some leavity in the form of diagnosees of scientists' personalities.

All in all a good book, what he said back in the early 1900's is as true today as it was then. I plan on giving copies of it to my grad-school bound students.

I am a graduate student (not in biology-ralated field) looking for general advice from this book. To my surprise much of Cajal's advice is still applicable not just today but in different disciplines. However, this is not a run-of-the-mill advice book for graduate students, and definitely not kind of advice my advisor will give me. Cajal is very passionate about doing science, and he doesn't hesitate to point out (sometimes very harshly) what he thinks the wrong ways of doing science.

It's expected that part of books are dated (remember it's first releasesd in 1897), but should not deter interested readers from reading it. Sometimes Cajal made comments upon which any readers today will frown, like "A woman [...] is in different to all work related to change and progress". But don't call Cajal a sexist, and don't interpret his work in the value system of the 21st century. Cajal is so enthusiastic about science that few other things matter to him. Anyone can easily feel and understand his commitment to science after reading few pages of the book.

Modern scientific publishers unduly constrain modern observers. Much like the growing gulf between rich and poor, the gulf between the peer reviewed and the independent investigator is widening. Peers can usually accept incremental improvements on what is already accepted, and their role is to maintain those views. However, their own reputations may be at stake if a true paradigm shift is found that weakens the foundation on which their decades of work has been founded. So peers frequently block progress at great expense to the scientific community.

Some bridge this gulf by making their own money and then breaking the rules, like Jeff Hawkins or Mike Lazaridis. Such men can write books or start their own schools, using money to prevent the dismissal that they might otherwise suffer.

But others, with less money, must travel a perilous path with the potential of instant and permanent dismissal when they make wrong guesses, en-route to a breakthrough. For these observers, there is no clear path to "legitimacy", regardless of any talent they may have.

Cajal is a remarkable guide to those who labor alone. His "Advice" is precisely what is needed to avoid most of the mistakes that lead to dismissal. He is both respectful towards predecessors and insistent that the work of all predecessors is to be passed.

Although this book is often criticized for "quaintness" or being "Cajal-centric", I believe that it is more important now than when it was written, and, like Shakespeare, rewards those who can tolerate the differences of language and circumstances that must be accepted to understand it. It is nowhere near as distant as Shakespeare in this regard.

I thank the Swanson and Swanson team for their excellent light and explained editing of this book, and of Cajal's two volume "Histology", leaving Cajal's meaning as untouched by modern theory as possible.

There are really no secrets...Ramon y Cajal warns us against several diseases of the will which affect research. He does that with great candour and much charm. I felt myself included in the category of "bibliophiles and polyglots", who collect more books and learn more languages than they could possibly use. Not that I changed: I just added guilt to my innocent vices! It adds to the charm that this book was written in the beginning of the 20th century when, well, wisdom was different. I wonder how the great scientist would react to the success of Marie Curie, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Lise Meitner, Countess Ada Lovelace (whom he could have met) and many other great women of science.

Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a genius of his time, this books is an excellent description of himself and his research methods, but it is unbelievable that the translators decide NOT TO INCLUDE SOME CHAPTERS of the original! Anyone who can read Spanish should avoid this translation and go for the original

Ramon y Cajal was a wonderful scientist. As this book shows he was also a magnificent teacher as well. The advice he gives about how to pursue research are as true today as they were in his days. Every graduate student should read it and take his advice...except about what he has to say about women in chapter 6.

What a fantastic book...this advice is so germane to those involved in any kind of research. While the work is ostensibly focused on the "young" investigator, I imagine that this advice could well be heeded by those older, and some more stagnant, researchers.