The Cognitive Neurosciences (Hardcover)

by Michael S. Gazzaniga (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The Cognitive Neurosciences IV is a magnificent accomplishment. It covers topics from ions to consciousness, from reflexes to social psychology. It is authoritative and encyclopedic, but also lively and unafraid of controversy. Michael Gazzaniga, The MIT Press, and the community of cognitive neuroscientists are to be congratulated for assembling this landmark of early twenty-first-century science."
—Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, and The Stuff of Thought --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Modeled on the classic Neuroscience Study Program volumes which helped define an evolving field, The Cognitive Neurosciences is a major new reference that documents and defines the emerging field of cognitive neuroscience. The ninety-two original contributions provide comprehensive coverage - from the molecular level right up to human conscious experience - of one of the most interesting areas of modern science, namely the relationship between the structural and physiological mechanisms of the brain/nervous system and the psychological reality of mind. Sections and section editors: Molecular and Cellular Plasticity, Ira Black. Neural and Psychological Development, Pasko Rakic. Sensory Systems, Colin Blakemore and J. Anthony Movshon. Strategies and Planning: Motor Systems, Emilio Bizzi. Attention, Michael Posner. Memory, Endel Tulving. Language, Steven Pinker. Thought and Imagery, Stephen M. Kosslyn. Emotion, Joseph E. LeDoux. Evolutionary Perspectives, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby. Consciousness, Daniel L. Schacter.

"An extremely valuable handbook. Not only is its scope adequate to the challenge of this rapidly growing young discipline, but the focus is clear: intelligible, up-to-date theories of mental processes are grounded in the latest findings of the brain sciences. The integration provided in this handbook lays a foundation for the next generation of cognitive neuroscientists." -- George A. Miller, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology Emeritus, Princeton University. "The Cognitive Neurosciences" is a wonderfully comprehensive and up-to-date collection of authoritative articles. I strongly recommend it to anyone who hopes to keep abreast with this fast-moving area of scientific enquiry--relating the brain and mind." -- Sir Roger Penrose, FRS, Rouse Ball, Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford. "At last--a source book in Cognitive Neuroscience for our students! And for ourselves! This much needed book contains a thoughtful selection of reviews from all areas relevant to current research. [...] Michael Gazzaniga and his colleagues should be congratulated for an outstanding job." -- Eric R. Kandel, M.D. University Professor, Center for Neurobiology, Columbia University

A Bradford Book

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1462 pages
• Publisher: Mit Pr (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262071576
• ISBN-13: 978-0262071574
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,969,530 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cognitive Neurosciences, April 11, 1999

By A Customer

The Cognitive Neurosciences by M.S. Gazzaniga is an exhaustive (and I mean exhaustive) collection of articles representing major theories in each field of cognitive neuroscience. The book focuses on cognitive neuroscience as opposed to something like neuropsychopharmacology or neuroanatomy. It also weighs a ton and a paperback version would be most welcome. Being comprehensive, there is a good deal of depth, but not the kind of depth you'd see in a text on a specific area (e.g., memory). That being said, this is the high-mark for this kind of comprehensive book. My favorite book in the area. Stephen Cox

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Not an introduction to the field, March 21, 2001

By	Justin Curry - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The New Cognitive Neurosciences: Second Edition (Hardcover)

I am a freshman in High School and after taking a semester course in Biology Honors and a little guidance from my teacher I set out to do my final human anatomy project on how drugs affect the synaptic regions in nerve cells. Using this book and the Internet i completed the project successfully. The thing about this book is that if you already don't have some understanding of the nervous system, this book may be confusing, yet if you want the latest in the field and not to much history and coverage on the supposed "Mind-Body Problem" get this book. This book is a great text for showing the cell processes and overall nervous system.If you just want a basic understanding of how the nervous system works, get another book, yet if you want to comprehend and do some nice research papers i would recommend this book. This book is a compilation of most the research in the cognitive neurosciences and is in depth and comprehensive as books get. Sure its size and weight may have caused some back strain when in my bookbag, but it was worth it. Check your library for this book before you pay out if you just need it for a paper or project, but if you want to do some learning like I did then buy it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely spectacular achievement, October 3, 2002

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

This review is from: The New Cognitive Neurosciences: Second Edition (Hardcover)

I think I can claim to be probably the only clinical neurologist who has read both this book and its first edition cover to cover, which really reflects the fascination of the articles more than incredible compulsivity on my part. The book is divided into 11 sections--development, plasticity, sensory systems, motor systems, attention, memory, language, higher cognitive functions, emotion, evolution, and consciousness, with anywhere from 8-15 articles in each section (total 94 chapters!), averaging around 15 pages each, and a helpful introduction written by an expert for the sections. There are also a large number of color illustrations. For the most part, the articles are very clearly written reviews, and would be appropriate for the upper undergraduate or graduate level student. The emphasis is obviously more on neuroscience than on clinical medicine, though helpful correlates to neurological patients can be found in many chapters. Michael Gazzaniga has once again done a masterful job in assembling contributors, and it is wonderful to see how much the field has advanced since the first edition of this book was published in 1995. For anyone with more than a casual interest in the field, this book is a MUST HAVE!!