Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self [Paperback]

John C. Eccles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0415032245 | ISBN-13: 978-0415032247 | Edition: Reprint

Sir John Eccles, a distinguished scientist and Nobel Prize winner who has devoted his scientific life to the study of the mammalian brain, tells the story of how we came to be, not only as animals at the end of the hominid evolutionary line, but also as human persons possessed of reflective consciousness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

He can be well satisfied with the result; it is a clear account of his beliefs, which are different from those of most of his fellow physiologists . . . well-illustrated and readable . . . these are serious and difficult problems of science and philosophy. We can be grateful to Eccles for his lifelong insistence that we should not neglect them, and for presenting them in such a stimulating book.
–Nature

. . . Eccles goes beyond the usual discourses about evolution to probe at the heart of human consciousness: the development of the human brain and mind.
–The Midwest Book Review

. . . well worth reading, and in many ways highly instructive for evolutionists and other biologists, particularly those who are not familiar with the complex problems treated in it.
–The Quarterly Review of Biology

Eccles' discussions of neurophysiological mechanisms are wonderfully clear, and some of his hypotheses concerning the elaboration of sensory and motor systems of the human brain are novel and insightful. His discussions smoothly integrate the results of relevant brain research, comparative behavioral observations and evidence of quantitative change of brain structure in an attempt to describe how these systems may have changed in the course of primate and hominid evolution.
–American Scientist, May-June 1991

. . . one is taken on a fascinating interpretation of the evolution of the mammalian brain, replete with breakthroughs, controversies, speculations, and the author's own passionate faith in evolution as the instrument of a transendent purpose.
–Psychology & Religion

About the Author

Sir John Eccles has written many books on the development of the human brain.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Reprint edition (May 16, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415032245
• ISBN-13: 978-0415032247
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #970,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution of the Mammalian Brain ca 1990., April 8, 2004

By 

Joseph J Grenier "jjg MD PhD" (Aurora, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self (Paperback)

Sir John Eccles has written a gem. The book is mostly devoted to the evolution of the Hominid Brain and Skull. There is a good discussion and overview of CNS neurophysiology. This book is the main book to start with on the subject of Brain Evolution. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution goes into more detail on the Primate Brain. The Encyclopedia should be used as a reference book alongside Eccles book. Eccles understanding of the nervous system was better than most other scientists at the time this book was written. Falk wrote a book worth looking at. Primate Brain Evolution is out of print, but can also complement the approaches in the other texts.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do not read anything else!, August 15, 2008

By 

Yolanda Olivas De Novo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self (Paperback)

If you are a professional within neuroscience field, and want to call yourself that, just read it, is going to give you some basis that we all need on this field.