Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of Mind [Hardcover]

Eric Kandel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2005 | ISBN-10: 1585621994 | ISBN-13: 978-1585621996 | Edition: 1

Brought together for the first time in a single volume, these eight important and fascinating essays by Nobel Prize-winning psychiatrist Eric Kandel provide a breakthrough perspective on how biology has influenced modern psychiatric thought. Complete with commentaries by experts in the field, Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of Mind reflects the authorAs evolving view of how biology has revolutionized psychiatry and psychology and how potentially could alter modern psychoanalytic thought. The authorAs unique perspective on both psychoanalysis and biological research has led to breakthroughs in our thinking about neurobiology, psychiatry, and psychoanalysisAall driven by the central idea that a fuller understanding of the biological processes of learning and memory can illuminate our understanding of behavior and its disorders. These wonderful essays cover -the mechanisms of psychotherapy and medications, showing that both work at the same level of neural circuits and synapses, and the implications of neurobiological research for psychotherapy; -the ability to detect functional changes in the brain after psychotherapy, which enables us, for the first time, to objectively evaluate the effects of psychotherapy on individual patients; -the need for animal models of mental disorders; for example, learned fear, to show how molecules and cellular mechanisms for learning and memory can be combined in various ways to produce a range of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors; -the unification of behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology into the new science of the mind, charted in two seminal reports on neurobiology and molecular biology given in 1983 and 2000; -the critical role of synapses and synaptic strength in both short- and long-term learning; -the biological and social implications of the mapping of the human genome for medicine in general and for psychiatry and mental health in particular; The author concludes by calling for a revolution in psychiatry, one that can use the power of biology and cognitive psychology to treat the many mentally ill persons who do not benefit from drug therapy. Fascinating reading for psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, social workers, residents in psychiatry, and trainees in psychoanalysis, Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of Mind records with elegant precision the monumental changes taking place in psychiatric thinking. It is an invaluable reference work and a treasured resource for thinking about the future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[ "Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of the Mind"] will open your eyes to the impressive advances made at the molecular, cellular and systemic level in understanding one of the salient functions of the brain. Kandel writes clearly and with a generous use of illustrations."-- "British Journal of Psychiatry", "2006"

About the Author

Eric R. Kandel, M.D., is University Professor at Columbia University, Fred Kavli Professor and Director at the Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, and a Senior Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. A graduate of Harvard College and NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Kandel trained in Neurobiology at the NIH and in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He joined the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in 1974 as the founding director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior. Dr. Kandel's research has been concerned with the molecular mechanisms of memory storage in Aplysia and mice. Dr. Kandel has received thirteen honorary degrees, is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences as well as the National Science Academies of Germany and France. He has been recognized with the Albert Lasker Award, the Heineken Award of the Netherlands, the Gairdner Award of Canada, the Wolf Prize of Israel, the National Medal of Science of the USA, and the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2000.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 414 pages
• Publisher: Amer Psychiatric Pub; 1 edition (May 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585621994
• ISBN-13: 978-1585621996
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #903,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric R. Kandel is Kavli Professor and University Professor at Columbia University and senior investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating synthasis of neuroscience with analytic-based psychiatry, December 14, 2005

By 

Jesse Liberty (MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of Mind (Hardcover)

Eight truly fascinating essays by Nobel Prize-winning psychiatrist and neurobiologist Eric Kandel. An incredible overview of how biology must influence psychiatric thought.

Each essay is accompanied by a commentary by an internationally recognized expert the field. Topics covered include the biological mechanisms of psychotherapy and medications, the ability to detect functional changes in the brain after psychotherapy, the need for animal models of mental disorders, the unification of behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology into the new science of the mind.

I eagerly await "In Search of Mind," which looks to be an update and synthesis by Kendal, due out March of 06.

If you want more depth, Kendal is also the author of *the* leading neuroscience text book: Principles of Neural Science.

If you want, instead to take a more integrated approach towards understanding how consciouness arises out of neuroscience, then the required books are "Consciousness Explained" and its follow up "Sweet Dreams" both by the brilliant polymath Daniel C. Dennett.

Finally, I the "related books" list should include "The Developing Mind" by Daniel Siegel.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly readable, October 28, 2006

By 

Matthew P. Menge "science fan" (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of Mind (Hardcover)

"Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and the New Biology of Mind"is surprisingly readable for what it is, a collection of papers and presentations on neuroscience. Many scientific publications are often just the opposite, frequently assuming familiarity with vocabulary and termiology not even featured in unabridged dictionaries. The book sometimes requires some careful reading, but that is all. It brings you up to date with all the current findings in the neuroscience field.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference, January 11, 2007

By 

Giacomo Caglioni - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of Mind (Hardcover)

Goes into Kandel's idea of uniting Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience, and presents an interesting list of papers and lecture Kandel has given throughout the last 30 years.

Not as pleasurable as his "A History of Mind", but definitely a must-read