The Developing Brain [Paperback]

Michael Brown (Author), Roger Keynes (Author), Andrew Lumsden (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198547935 | ISBN-13: 978-0198547938 | Publication Date: February 14, 2002 | Edition: 1

An up to date and comprehensive overview of the developing nervous system, with particular emphasis on the vertebrate brain. The past two decades have witnessed dramatic advances in our understanding of neural development in both invertebrates and vertebrates, Recent advances in the molecular genetic basis of development mechanisms are integrated with a synthesis of the classical literature to provide coverage of the key events, from the first appearance of the nervous system in the early embryo through postnatal and later stages. The book is intended for final year undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs doing courses in developmental neurobiology. The extensive reference list will also make it a useful source book for teachers and researchers in the field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`This is an inexpensive yet important book on neural development. It should be in neurology, neurosurgery, and bioscience libraries.' Doody's Electronic Journal, March 2003.

About the Author

Michael Brown is in the Department of Physiology, University of Oxford. Roger Keynes is in the Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge. Andrew Lumsden is in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Guy's Hospital, London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (February 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198547935
• ISBN-13: 978-0198547938
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, molecular based summary of brain development, August 31, 2003

By 

DR P. Dash "drdneuro" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Developing Brain (Paperback)

Truly, this is a book that could not have been written a few years ago. The explosion of research into the molecular basis of brain development has been one of the most astounding aspects of advances in neuroscience. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, preferably if they've already had a course in general developmental biology. The book of course discusses human brain development, but does so from a comparative perspective, including both invertebrate and mammalian systems. The focus is on the molecules involved in brain development, players like the whimiscally named sonic hedgehog, ephrins, FGFs etc...the list is into the hundreds now. It is well written and concise; I especially liked how the chapter sections are each only 1-3 pages long. It is heavily referenced and current through 2001, so it can be a good jumping off place to go into more detail on whatever strikes your fancy. My only criticism is the illustrations...although the book is reasonably illustrated with informative and well chosen black and white line drawings, there are no photographs or color pictures, and I have found, in attempting to peruse the developmental neurobiology literature without being a developmentalist by trade, it is often difficult to figure out what it is they're trying to show in the color photos that are usually present in modern articles, so it would be helpful for a textbook to include them to help students orient themselves when they do hit the actual literature. But undoubtedly this kept the price of the book quite reasonable. Also, the authors have chosen to stress the molecular aspects, so some of the details of morphology are not emphasized. A nice point about the book is that the last several chapters deal with plasticity issues like synaptic rearrangement, learning, and repair, showing continuity of mechanisms from earlier in development to the adult brain. Of course, any textbook in this field is outdated by the time it is published, but to get an excellent overview and summary I think it is really superb!