Credit: Tom Jackson
The Brain: An Illustrated History of Neuroscience delves into the mystery of disorders and injuries that have occurred in the brain that gives us clues as to how the brain functions. Neuroscientists focus on chemical processes that power nerve signals and build memories; psychologists explore the relationship between thoughts and the physical activities of the brain.
Even philosophers have become involved as they question whether human consciousness is actually capable of being examined by science.
The Brain contains a series of short investigative stories that attempt to answer some of the oldest and utmost significant questions that have manifested throughout history. Additionally, the book describes the innovations of technology, within science, which have altered the history of scientific exploration.
Data is compiled into categories highlighting the discovery, the date in which it occurred, and the person responsible for the innovation. The listings are approximately one half, to two pages long, and includes: date of discovery, person responsible for the finding, year, pictures, drawings, and diagrams. The author uses hundreds of significant examples of scientific development to explicate the differences in perceiving the abilities of the brain, as conceptualized in the past, to the present day renderings of the brain.
The text explains the basics of the brain to allow for a working definition of the parts and functionalities before stemming into more intricate terminologies and factors pertaining to practicalities of the brain. The closing of the book is filled with numerous resources for further insight as well as continued investigation into the mysteries of the brain. These sources include: profiles of the prodigious neuroscientists, resources, indexes, acknowledgements, lab experiments and clinical observations.
The section titled The One Hundred Ponderables discusses topics ranging from Ancient Theories of Sleep, the Nature of Knowledge, Phantom Limbs, Tourette s Syndrome, Neurotransmitters to Brain machines, and Psychoanalysis.
The Brain: An Illustrated History of Neuroscience (Ponderables 100 Breakthroughs That Changed History Who Did What When) Tom Jackson Shelter Harbor Press, New York October 21, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-0985323080. ISBN-10: 0985323086
