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63rd out of 81 books
—
52 voters
The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine
Dr. Michael Gershon has devoted his career to understanding the human bowel (the stomach, esophagus, small intestine, and colon). His thirty years of research have led to an extraordinary rediscovery: nerve cells in the gut that act as a brain. This "second brain" can control our gut all by itself. Our two brains -- the one in our head and the one in our bowel -- must coop...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
November 17th 1999
by Harper Perennial
(first published November 1st 1998)
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Mar 13, 2013
Keith Kendall
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Keith by:
Martha Char Love
Two months ago I didn't even know that there is such a thing an an enteric nervous system (ENS). Thanks to the Anatomy and Physiology class that I am taking, I learned that it exists. When Martha Char Love reviewed this book, I acquired a desire to learn more about the ENS.
This books starts out like a travelog written by a very engaging writer, who spices his writing with witty humor that is delightful to read. Even though it reads like a travelog, yet the writing is so engaging that I read on,...more
This books starts out like a travelog written by a very engaging writer, who spices his writing with witty humor that is delightful to read. Even though it reads like a travelog, yet the writing is so engaging that I read on,...more
“Gut instinct”, “My gut tells me”, “I have butterflies in my stomach” – all the ways that we express emotions and thoughts. Our “guts” (the stomach, esophagus, small intestines, colon) are what Dr. Gershon (a neurobiologist) calls “our second brains” and chaos in one brain creates misery in the other. Consider this: 95% of the body’s serotonin is made in the bowel (serotonin being a key neurotransmitter in the regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep). Dr. Gershon also proposes that “the ugly gut...more
Gershon is a pioneer in the understanding of the gut, the colon, and all the other parts of our bodies that most of us would rather not think about. But we should: it turns out that we have more neurons in our gut -- yes, neurons, like in our brains -- than a cat has in its brain. Our tummies are, in some weird sense, smarter than cats. Gershon explores this mystery -- if the gut is thinking, what is it thinking about? -- and many others, focusing especially on the diseases of the gut and colon....more
If you are planning to be a student of medicine or neuro-psychology, then you seriously might start with this book. Gershon shares his 30 years of research of the gut and its enteric nervous system in a detailed story account, which is technical but very readable to the interested student. It may not be on your official prerequisite reading list given to you by the college you are about to attend, but trust me and read it anyway because it deserves to be read for its revolutionary content. Until...more
The Author
The author is not a gastroenterologist, but a neurobiologist, whose interest in the serotonin neurotransmitter took him down into the bowels of medicine. This book is a history of the development of the understanding of the intestinal nervous system, a history in which the author played a major role.
How Science is Actually Done
The author describes numerous experiments he and other conducted to figure out the intestinal nervous system. There is a great deal of information and the writi...more
The author is not a gastroenterologist, but a neurobiologist, whose interest in the serotonin neurotransmitter took him down into the bowels of medicine. This book is a history of the development of the understanding of the intestinal nervous system, a history in which the author played a major role.
How Science is Actually Done
The author describes numerous experiments he and other conducted to figure out the intestinal nervous system. There is a great deal of information and the writi...more
Sorry Dr. John. Had to put this one down for now... But if you are interested in the enteric nervous system, check this one out.
A tough technical read but wonderful insights and hope for anyone suffering from any kind of functional bowel disease.
Recommended by qigong master in Greenwood.
Dec 14, 2008
Susan
added it
I confess, I ended up skimming quite a bit of the second half because it was due back at the library. Interesting, but I don't really have the science/medical background to find it enthralling. But know I know that I have an enteric nervous system and it produces a lot of serotonin.
Very interesting, but a little too technical for my pea brain; fascinating stuff, none the less. Too bad he's mainly into figuring out drugs for the ailments rather than more natural stuff. But as he sees it-natural ain't so good-and he points out e-coli and botchulism as being natural too; good point-but still....
Your gut has its own intrinsic nervous system. If you were to cut the vagus nerves (that run between the brain and the bowel), the enteric nervous system would still go on functioning from stomach to colon.
This dude knows his stuff and really breaks it all down.
This dude knows his stuff and really breaks it all down.
Pretty hard to read. I will read this one in the future when my biochemistry is a little more concrete and see if I can get more out of it! The hardest part about reading it is the amount of time the author spends tooting his own horn.
Not what I expected. More of an account of the scientists and methods involved in studying the enteric nervous system than any practical health advice.
May 02, 2010
Julie Isen
is currently reading it
This book is more technical than I expected, but still pretty fascinating. Hopefully I can get through it and understand it too.
interesting book but a bit heavy for non research clinicians.
recommended by judi
May 19, 2013
Yazan
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2013
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May 11, 2013
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May 24, 2013
Brennan
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May 06, 2013
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May 01, 2013
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Chairman of the department of anatomy and cell biology at Columbia University.
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Would you say that the scientific findings of the 'intestine brain' is a confirmation of the general wisdom of 'gut feel' or would that b...more
Feb 20, 2013 03:32am