I couldn't agree more with the editorial reviews of this book. It is excellent!
I'm reading the book just out of interest in the subject matter and I'm not involved professionally with neurology. I have recently read several books on the topic though and that list would include:
. Mapping the Mind - Rita Carter's excellent survey of brain functions (similar in some ways to this book and really excellent!). . Exploring Consciousness - Another very good Rita Carter text. . The Neuron - Cell and Molecular Biology - Irwin Levitan and Leonard K Kaczmarek's 500+ page non-light reading but fascinating book on neurons. . Quest for Consciousness - Christopher Koch's (and Francis Crick's) insightful search for the neural correlates of consciousness. . Wider Than The Sky - Gene Edelman's equally fascinating perspective on the same type of research. . In Search of Memory - Eric Kandel's part autobiography, part neurology book. . Etc.
Each of those books were wonderful and I plan on going back and reading them again just to see how my perspective has changed from what I've learned since the last time. But, if I had to pick one book to provide a survey of how the brain is organized and functions I believe this is the book I would chose. It is actually the first textbook I can remember reading in the past 40 years but it didn't remind me of the textbooks of that era.
Cognition, Brain, and Consciousness has the following assets:
. It is well organized and well indexed. . The writing style seems to take advantage of the authors' understanding of the learning process. . It provides more than a casual introduction to each of the topics it covers. . I thought it provided a balanced view of conflicting theories and approaches, giving the pros and cons of each. . The book is extremely well illustrated throughout. Each illustration seems very thoughtfully composed and selected. . It should, as the editorial reviews suggest, appeal to a range of readers from "student through established researcher."
There are some typographical problems but they are minor (e.g. References to Appendix C - which doesn't exist). I ordered the book before its release date and actually received it before June 11th so I can imagine typos happening. There appears to be extensive support for the material on the publisher's website but I haven't checked that out as yet.
So I'm really writing this to thank the Bernard Baars and Nicole Gage for providing such amazing material. It is really outstanding and even though it is expensive I would say without hesitation that it is more than worth its price!
2011.09.28 10:48:26
창의적훈련
Bear의 신경과학을 대표번역한 서울대 강봉균 교수님이 역자이다.
이해를 돕기 위한 많은 일러스트레이션과 실험 자료들이 그림으로 제시되어 있는 것도 장점이다.
이 책은 마음을 신경과학적으로 이해하는 것을 목표로, 인지신경과학을 공부함에 있어 우리가 어느 위치에 있는지 최신의 정보를 정리하여 담았다.
뇌의 신경생물학에서부터 감정, 의식, 생각, 언어, 기억 등을 아우르는 인지 현상들에 대해 입증된 가장 최신의 정보들이 독자들을 기다리고 있다. -역자 서문 중에서
Customer Reviews
I'm reading the book just out of interest in the subject matter and I'm not involved professionally with neurology. I have recently read several books on the topic though and that list would include:
. Mapping the Mind - Rita Carter's excellent survey of brain functions (similar in some ways to this book and really excellent!).
. Exploring Consciousness - Another very good Rita Carter text.
. The Neuron - Cell and Molecular Biology - Irwin Levitan and Leonard K Kaczmarek's 500+ page non-light reading but fascinating book on neurons.
. Quest for Consciousness - Christopher Koch's (and Francis Crick's) insightful search for the neural correlates of consciousness.
. Wider Than The Sky - Gene Edelman's equally fascinating perspective on the same type of research.
. In Search of Memory - Eric Kandel's part autobiography, part neurology book.
. Etc.
Each of those books were wonderful and I plan on going back and reading them again just to see how my perspective has changed from what I've learned since the last time. But, if I had to pick one book to provide a survey of how the brain is organized and functions I believe this is the book I would chose. It is actually the first textbook I can remember reading in the past 40 years but it didn't remind me of the textbooks of that era.
Cognition, Brain, and Consciousness has the following assets:
. It is well organized and well indexed.
. The writing style seems to take advantage of the authors' understanding of the learning process.
. It provides more than a casual introduction to each of the topics it covers.
. I thought it provided a balanced view of conflicting theories and approaches, giving the pros and cons of each.
. The book is extremely well illustrated throughout. Each illustration seems very thoughtfully composed and selected.
. It should, as the editorial reviews suggest, appeal to a range of readers from "student through established researcher."
There are some typographical problems but they are minor (e.g. References to Appendix C - which doesn't exist). I ordered the book before its release date and actually received it before June 11th so I can imagine typos happening. There appears to be extensive support for the material on the publisher's website but I haven't checked that out as yet.
So I'm really writing this to thank the Bernard Baars and Nicole Gage for providing such amazing material. It is really outstanding and even though it is expensive I would say without hesitation that it is more than worth its price!