Customer Reviews

Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain (Book with CD-ROM)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just finished using this book for an undergraduate course in neuroscience. It was one of the best biology books I have ever obtained. I have since read the sections the course did not have the time to cover and enjoyed them all. The figures are excellent and greatly aid in your learning. The authors are even somewhat comical at some points. In all, I would highly recommend this book for the introductory neuroscientist!

If you have been dabbling in cognitive psychology and brain science, have found it interesting and are looking for a broad yet in-depth treatment then this book will not dissapoint you. It approaches Neuroscience from every possible angle: you will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the brain and how it produces, controls and mediates the sensory, motor and emotional functions that underlie human experience. The layout of the text is logical, it uses great pedagogical tools, and the writing is concise and informative (if a little dry). Highly recommended as a first textbook for serious study.

This title is the best I have come across and is most suitable for beginners in neuroscince who have no background in biology. Once you start reading the book it is almost difficult to put it away unless you finish the book.

Overall this is an excellent text for an undergraduate level course. It is the 3rd book on the subject that I've read and the best of the lot. It is much more conprehensive than the others, but does not get into the details of some graduate level books.

The content deserves a 5 star, but I gave it 4 stars overall because of a couple shortcomings. The graphics don't convey the 3 dimensionality of the anatomy. All of my anatomy texts do a far better job representing internal structures, and this becomes extremely important.

2nd, there are some areas overemphasized, some omissions, and a problem with the order of presentation. The chapter on attention tells me that one of the authors researches in this area. Sorry, it doesn't warrant a chapter. You know you're on the wrong track when you spend an entire page just explaining the minutiae of a single experiment. Second, there was no mention of intelligence. Yes it's a hotbutton issue. No excuse for ignoring it. Finally, issues were raised, such as fear or emotions, that use the same structure. It would be helpful to discuss the anatomy in more detail early on instead of introducing structures piecemeal.

Overall an excellent book.

This book has had praise heaped upon it by previous reviewers. I'd like to put that in perspective. As an undergraduate text or a general encyclopedic reference for the unitiated, this book is reasonably comprehensive and contains substantial high-quality illustrations. However as a reference for more advanced students, there is insufficient detail to motivate serious discussion. I find "Principles of Neural Science" by Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell far more useful despite being a year older than Bear, et al. If the goal is to lift artwork for a pleasingly graphical PowerPoint presentation, this book is a fantastic resource, but if you want more than jargon and an introduction to the topic (albeit comprehensive), I'd look elsewhere.

This book is a great introduction to neuroscience, and a good review of the field for those who need to brush up on basic knowledge. I majored in neuroscience at Brown University, and am now a graduate student in the field, and I still occasionally use this book as a quick reference. The figures are one of the best features of this book.

This book was key for me in undergraduate neurobiology work, and even as a great supplement for graduate studies. It breaks down the neurological system in a clear, concise, and simple method, using excellent diagrams, illustrations. It actually simplifies neuroscience and I found it easier to understand than some of my more in-depth graduate books.

This book is really good for a general understanding of neuroscience and it has good pictures. This is really a beginning undergraduate level book and can be used as supplemental material for basic concepts when a student is starting to become more advanced, but it does not go into much detail. It is well-written and consequently easy to read. If you're looking for an introduction to neuroscience this is a good book. If you're looking for a reference book for higher level neuroscience this book won't meet standards.

This is a wonderful textbook, and like only a very few others I have read, is well written and interesting enough to be read as an excellent book. It is quite difficult to put down and I think most readers will find themselves reading more than is required for their class or reading it for pleasure alone. It is not a complete exhaustive reference on every topic in neuroscience, but it does not pretend to be (and I think it would lose some of its appeal to the intended audience if it did). For example, the brief mention of glial cells in chapter 2 was a little disappointing, then again, I have a textbook of close to a thousand pages on glial cells alone, but I think a little more coverage could have been given. But, there are additional resources given, which allows interested students to further explore concepts they have been introduced to in this text.

There is something to be said for a text that can be read cover to cover, with little strain, and give the reader a clear overview of the field.

Bear, Connors, Paradiso--"Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain" 3rd Ed. provides an excellent presentation of some very complex marterials. Many drawings illustrate the physiological processes. An accompanying DVD provides an adjunct to the learning process--learning by reading the text and learning by listening. Each chapter takes about 30 minutes to read. The book is well written and while technical is still comprehnsible for the neophyte. There is an accompanying website for extended tutorials.