The Brain: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Think for a few moments about a very special machine, your brain - an organ of just 1.2 kg, containing one hundred billion nerve cells,..." (more)
Key Phrases: reticular theory, ganglion cell axons, receiving neuron, Nobel Prize, Leonardo da Vinci (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'O'Shea writes with real enthusiasm.' The Guardian

Product Description

The Brain: A Very Short Introduction provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Short, clear discussions on the mechanical workings of the brain are offered and the details of brain science are covered in an accessible style. Explanations of the more familiar implications of the brain's actions, such as memories, perceptions, and motor control are integrated throughout the book. It has chapters on brain processes and the causes of "altered mental states," as well as a final chapter that discusses possible future developments in neuroscience, touching on artificial intelligence, gene therapy, the importance of the Human Genome Project, drugs by design, and transplants. Up-to-date coverage of the newest developments in brain research and suggestions for future research on the brain are also included.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192853929
• ISBN-13: 978-0192853929
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #223,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction, May 25, 2006

By	Bojan Tunguz "Dr. Bojan Tunguz" (Greencastle, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best books in the VSI series, and I've read well over thirty by now. It gives a very good introduction to the basic neuroanatomy of the brain, and explains many important brain functions. The book is intended for laypeople, but even those (like me) who are familiar with the subject can benefit from reading it. Oftentimes neuroscience textbook overwhelm with details, and it is sometimes hard to see the forest from the trees. This book provides a good bird's eye perspective on the field, and its many references and recommended books make it a valuable reference. Very importantly, the book is up to date in some of the more recent discoveries, including some current controversies like grandma neuron, the idea that the brain has a neuron devoted just for recognizing each family member.

A good, well written and well organized book. I highly recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect, September 15, 2007

By	Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behavior in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star from the rating, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Introduction for Outsiders, June 14, 2008

By	Song Yan (China) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The vocabulary used in this book is quite friendly to the readers, who don't practice relevant subjects. People could imagine easily that the brain must be a complex organ without reading the book, but the book helps give a detailed view of how incredibly delicate the organ can be. I think everybody with a functioning brain, no matter how high or low an IQ is produced by it, should feel proud of owning the most complex unit on the earth.

Amazon shows that Very Short Introduction is a series of books, which I would like to try more of them later. I think it's a smart idea to publish such tiny and thin books, which are highly portable, and I am curious if the series has made good money, since it could be packaged as light-weighted reading stuff.