|
|  |
A Hole in the Head
More Tales in the History of Neuroscience
Charles G. Gross
 Table of Contents and Sample Chapters
Neuroscientist Charles Gross has been interested in the history of his field since his days as an undergraduate. A Hole in the Head is the second collection of essays in which he illuminates the study of the brain with fascinating episodes from the past. This volume's tales range from the history of trepanation (drilling a hole in the skull) to neurosurgery as painted by Hieronymus Bosch to the discovery that bats navigate using echolocation.
The emphasis is on blind alleys and errors as well as triumphs and discoveries, with ancient practices connected to recent developments and controversies. Trepanation, for example, originated in Paleolithic societies and is now promoted on a variety of Web sites as a means of "enhancing" consciousness.
Gross first reaches back into the beginnings of neuroscience, discussing such topics as debates over the role of the brain (as opposed to the heart) in cognition and the relationship of vision to ideas about the "evil eye." He then takes up the interaction of art and neuroscience, exploring, among other things, Rembrandt's "Anatomy Lesson" paintings—one of which prefigured the poses in a famous photograph of the dead Che Guevara. Finally, Gross examines discoveries by scientists whose work was scorned in their own time but proven correct in later eras, including Claude Bernard's argument for the importance of the constancy of the internal environment and Joseph Altman's pioneering (and ignored) discovery of adult neurogenesis.
About the Author
Charles G. Gross, a neuroscientist specializing in vision and the functions of the cerebral cortex, is Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. He is the author of Vision, Brain, Memory: Tales in the History of Neuroscience (MIT Press, 1998).
| "Charles Gross is a pioneering neuroscientist with a deep sense of history and a gift for lucid, vivid story-telling. His new book, A Hole in the Head is enthralling, fast-paced, and as exciting as any detective story."
—Oliver Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
"Gross takes us through a rich history and analysis of neuroscience and reveals how little we still know about the essence of ourselves—our brains."
—Torsten Wiesel, Vincent and Brooke Astor Professor Emeritus and President Emeritus, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Rockefeller University
"A delight and a treasure trove. As expected from Charles Gross's earlier historical writings, this is a marvelous temporal travelogue, from the Greeks to contemporary scientists, and with many surprises along the way. All of it is invaluable to the historian of neuroscience, but it also includes closely argued discussion of some contemporary issues. Of special interest is the section on scientists who were 'before their time,' some of whom are still waiting. A hole-in-one several times over."
—Larry Weiskrantz, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford
View All Endorsements |
|
See Other Titles In:
|
|
|
