Personaggi originali, brillanti, spesso geniali a volte anche eccentrici animano le memorie di John G. Nicholls e ci fanno entrare nel mondo della ricerca. Riderete di gusto guardando da sopra le spalle dei ricercatori tutti intenti ai loro esperimenti sul bancone del laboratorio, scoprendo i lati più umani e vulnerabili di premi Nobel e neuroscienziati di fama internazionale. Tra un thè sorseggiato a Oxford, incontri con rane extra-large in India e slot machine del Nevada, c'è spazio per conoscere chi cucina su un becco Bunsen e chi, in Israele, si ritrova a guidare senza pantaloni! Girata l'ultima pagina, vi dispiacerà congedarvi dai pionieri della neurobiologia.

Nichols presents readers with a collection of profiles of various neurobiologists, and the university departments that have inspired him in his own research and career. The author has organized his text in four parts. Part one is focused on neurobiologists hailing from the UK and includes profiles of J.P. Quilliam, R.J.S. McDowall, the Oxford Department of Physiology, and others. Part two is focused on neurobiologists worldwide, including J.V. Luco of Chile, Hugo Arechiga of Mexico, Imgard Dietzel of Germany, and many others. The third part is focused on the U.S. and features Ed Zigler and Bob Galambos, Denis Baylor, and several others. The final part is focused specifically on the work of Stephen Kuffler and his circle. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

When the first edition hit the streets in 1976, there were few books or journals devoted to the nervous system, and subsequent editions have added new topics, more pages, and more authors to accommodate the growth of the science. The goal remains to explain to readers who may not have any background in biology how nerve cells transmit signals, how the signals are put together, and how higher functions emerge from this integration. The overall themes are electrical properties of neurons and glia, intercellular communication, integrative mechanisms, sensation and movement, and the development and regeneration of the nervous system. The work is highly and colorfully illustrated. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)