Neuronal Man

by Jean-Pierre Changeux, Laurence Garey (Translator)

Over the past thirty-five years, there has been an explosive increase in scientists' ability to explain the structure and functioning of the human brain. While psychology has advanced our understanding of human behavior, various other sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, and biology, have determined the critical importance of synapses and, through the use of advanced technology, made it possible actually to see brain cells at work within the skull's walls. Here Jean-Pierre Changeux elucidates our current knowledge of the human brain, taking an interdisciplinary approach and explaining in layman's terms the complex theories and scientific breakthroughs that have significantly improved our understanding in the twentieth century.

Genres: Science, Neuroscience, Nonfiction, Biology

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

est un neurobiologiste français connu pour sa recherche dans plusieurs domaines de la biologie, de la structure et de la fonction des protéines (en particulier les protéines allostériques), au développement précoce du système nerveux jusqu’aux fonctions cognitives. Bien que célèbre dans les sciences biologiques pour le modèle Monod-Wyman-Changeux, il est aussi reconnu pour l’identification et la purification du récepteur nicotinique de l’acétylcholine et la théorie de l’épigénèse par stabilisation sélective des synapses. Changeux est connu du public non scientifique pour des idées concernant la relation entre l’esprit et le cerveau. Comme il l’écrit dans son livre Matière à pensée, Changeux défend la conception selon laquelle le système nerveux est actif plutôt que réactif et que l’interaction avec l’environnement, au lieu d’être instructive, résulte de la sélection de représentations internes préexistantes. Il est membre de l'Académie des sciences depuis 1986.

Reviews

[Maša Bratuša · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok so if i read that when it was published (1983) i would have probably given it five stars, but because much has happened in the field in the past forty years, it's not so essential.

nevertheless
the first chapter is super interesting and if you are looking for a "history of conceptualizing the brain" this is the thing you want to read. i study cognitive science and we were thought very little about the times before descartes, so this was eye opening. not only is it a "history" but it also discusses general premises and trends. really loved the first chapter.
as for the rest- one has to be very mindful that this is an old book so being on the lookout for out-of-date data is, of course, a must. but i also think that this can be a good exercise in critical thinking and knowledge evaluation/evocation. looking for the most recent "truth" i did find a lot of information that would otherwise probably slip by.
apart from that, i personally found many important still-standing facts and considerations that have been pushed out of the limelight in modern neuroscience and it was surely worth the read because of these gems. the book also is interesting because the author did not write a comprehensive, organized textbook but apparently pointed out whatever he thought was interesting and constructed an impressive epistemological position from it. he also makes sure that the clear distinction between fact and spectulation is made, which is a praxis that too few authors are capable of. the book is also worth reading as an example on how to write a good (semi) popular science book - because there is a lot of explaining about *how* some discoveries came to be and *how* to think scientifically, not only what the discoveries are.
it could although be better organized in terms of order and conciseness, but that's a minor concern with all the rest going on.

i surely am very biased because i find this field interesting and because the book gave me plenty of particulars that are important for my thesis but i would nevertheless say that it is an obligatory read for every psychologist, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, neurobiologist, cognitive scientist or ethologist. if you are only partly interested in the field and only want to read one book i would advise you to go with robert sapolsky's behave. but this is definitely at the top of fine neuroscience.

(read the serbian edition, sazvežđa - nolit, very nice print)

[Remus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. Well structured and +/- accessible to the general public. Partie dial les objets mentaux was my fav. Dkchi d physio is dense and takes some neuronal activity to understand but it’s precise and academic so I can’t complain. Khdit m3aya had lktab f a 5 days tsafira lb7r which was a bad choice hit sd9t kn9ra neuro fl3otla. idk how i feel about it hit i really enjoyed the book but at the same time there were a lot of parts that felt repetitive ola kayhdr 3la chi hwayj li dj 9rithum. Vers la fin l9it rassi kan7sb sfa7i li ba9in bach nsali. Also tktb f 1983 so bzf dl7wayj na9sin, but still it’s a good rec to get into neurophysiology/biology.
Overall 3/5, will go back to some chapters for a second read.

[Haldun Umut Ağduk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a lil bit old, still a good book. Haven’t finished all of it, I’m thinking on buying a more comprehensive and newer neuroscience book.

Got me on my tracks again.

[Amarine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le livre est très intéressant mais le style universitaire le rend difficile d'accès. De plus certaines vérités scientifiques à sa parution ont évolué depuis.

[Sebastien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit old but very interesting

[Léa LEFEBVRE · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'ai appris des trucs mais long à lire c'était pour la philo