Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

David E. Presti's "Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey" is a remarkable book that provides an accessible and engaging introduction to the fascinating field of neuroscience. Presti, a professor of neurobiology, psychology, and cognitive science, brings his expertise and passion for the subject to this comprehensive guide.One of the book's greatest strengths is its ability to make complex concepts understandable to a wide audience. Presti presents the material in a clear and concise manner, using analogies and real-world examples to illustrate key ideas. The book covers a broad range of topics, from the molecular and cellular foundations of the nervous system to the mysteries of consciousness and the mind.The Presti's writing style is engaging and thought-provoking, drawing readers into the world of neuroscience and encouraging them to think critically about the subject. Presti also incorporates historical context and personal anecdotes, making the book an enjoyable and informative read.Overall, "Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey" is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the brain, mind, and behavior. It is an excellent resource for students, professionals, and curious individuals who want to explore the wonders of neuroscience.Highly recommended!

Mind blown book! A great intro to Neuroscience.

I knew I had selected the right book when I dipped in, at random, and found the author’s explanation of the classic elementary school question, “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, is there a sound?” If you thought your teacher’s answer unsatisfying, as I did back in school, you’ll love Presti’s lucid explanation. I felt an immediate connection with his style of writing.As a layman in search of a better understanding of the challenging, technical subject of neuroscience, I found half of the battle to be locating a book that didn’t talk up or talk down to me.This is it. Diagrams, photos, and art work illustrate every concept. When the author uses a term, diffusion of particles in a liquid, for example, he follows it with an illustration easily envisioned: “putting a spoonful of milk in a cup of tea.”In more complex concepts, such as the energy requirements of an ion-transporter protein, Presti helps the reader visualize that an ion needs to be “pushed” up its concentration gradient: “It’s like carrying water up hill,” he explains. “The water tends to flow down, and energy is required to carry it up.”In a chapter on the nose and smell, Presti describes olfactory sensory perception. I was fascinated to learn a mouse has four times the number of olfactory receptor proteins as a human. Our distant ancestors, he discloses, possessed much better smell, but as we became upright creatures, vision became more important and our olfactory receptors were lost through mutation.The author walks the reader through the process of how an aroma, like cinnamon, made up of many different molecules, activates various receptor proteins when we inhale them. From there, he explains how our system constructs the mental experience we know as the aroma we love in our coffee cake.In the chapter, “Mind, Consciousness, and Reality,” Presti speculates about the future:• The question of whether mathematics is solely a product of human cognition or points to truth about the foundations of reality.• The question of the relationship between reality and our perception.• The possibility of building integrated circuits which will duplicate the neural connectivity of the brain.• The suggestion that the next truly big scientific revolution may involve a connection between physics and consciousness.• Projects which investigate near-death experiences and reincarnation.His vision made me yearn for more.In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of how the human nervous system relates to the mind.

Loved studying with the man. Twenty years later I wanted to catch up on what he had taught. This book helped! The o chem in the beginning is likely to intimidate some.

This is an outstanding introduction to neuroscience and how the brain works. It covers a wide range of topics including how neurons work, how our sensory organs integrate with the brain, etc. Surprisingly for its length it also goes deep enough so that you really understand how all this works. It is written at a level that intelligent laymen can understand and yet it doesn't dumb anything down. The high ratings this book gets are well-deserved. Highly recommended!

I've been looking for a book like this for a long time. Something that can explain the basic workings of the brain and nervous system in a profound and easy to understand way. The authors breath of knowledge and fascinating asides and historical points make the book really fun. Also the illustrations are great.

This is likely to be one of our required readings for our team and our top-line audience. This is a great introductory book, targeted at college level readers who do not already know the ins and outs of calcium channels nor already have solid knowledge of the structure of neural receptors.Great book.

I am taking Dr. Presti's class at UC Berkeley that uses this as the textbook. This book is amazing. clear, easy to understand, and at times quite poetic.