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Biopsychology
Written in a friendly and engaging manner, Biopsychology clearly presents the fundamentals of the study of the biology of behavior but makes the topics personally and socially relevant to the reader. Four interwoven themes support the major recent developments in the rapidly changing field of biopsychology. Thousands of new references and dozens of new topics have been added to this edition, making Pinel's discussion of and focus on the human element easy and interesting to read. For those interested in physiological and biological psychology.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
80 people are currently reading
821 people want to read
About the author
John P.J. Pinel
40 books15 followersJohn Pinel, the author of Biopsychology (9th Edition), obtained his Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal and worked briefly at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, before taking a faculty position at the University of British Columbia, where he is currently Professor Emeritus.
Professor Pinel is an award-winning teacher and the author of over 200 scientific papers. However, he feels that Biopsychology is his major career-related accomplishment. "It ties together everything I love about my job; students, teaching, writing, and research." Pinel attributes much of his success to his wife Maggie who is an artist and professional designer. Over the years, they have collaborated on many projects, and the quality of Biopsychology's illustrations is largely attributable to her skill and effort.
Pinel is an enthusiastic West African drummer who performs at local clubs, festivals, and drum circles with Nigerian drum master Kwasi Iruoje. For relaxation, he loves to cuddle his three cats: Rastaman, Sambala, and Squeak.
Professor Pinel is an award-winning teacher and the author of over 200 scientific papers. However, he feels that Biopsychology is his major career-related accomplishment. "It ties together everything I love about my job; students, teaching, writing, and research." Pinel attributes much of his success to his wife Maggie who is an artist and professional designer. Over the years, they have collaborated on many projects, and the quality of Biopsychology's illustrations is largely attributable to her skill and effort.
Pinel is an enthusiastic West African drummer who performs at local clubs, festivals, and drum circles with Nigerian drum master Kwasi Iruoje. For relaxation, he loves to cuddle his three cats: Rastaman, Sambala, and Squeak.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 16, 2017
This is the best textbook I have ever read. It was extremely interesting and educational. I learned so much from this class and a lot of which will stick with me because of the way the textbook teaches. I loved the writing of it, and enjoyed the little jokes here and there. I loved the real case studies shown in pretty much every chapter, they really helped explain the concepts and show how they apply to real life situations. The labeling and specific sections which corresponded with it was also very helpful in learning with having different areas like critically thinking, evolutionary connections, and clinical implications. The chapters also built really well on each other, teaching any information needed for new chapters in the prior ones. The many diagrams and pictures were also great and added a more visual learning style to the book as well. I have never even really cared for any textbook before, particularly something non-literature course related but this one truly astounded me. This book was thoroughly engaging and appealed to several different learning types.
The topics of the chapters were also very intriguing. I enjoyed learning about the way neurotransmitters worked and how that applies to anxiety and depression, and the medications given for these conditions, in particular since I have anxiety. On a final note, I also appreciated the many studies presented in the text and the emphasis placed on how we still don't know that much when it comes to the brain. The book prompts you to not take things at face value but to always view "facts" as "hypotheses" that could change in the future and to always have solid research and experiments to backup your findings. I honestly have felt so weird nerding out over a textbook...but that should tell you something in and of itself, right?
The topics of the chapters were also very intriguing. I enjoyed learning about the way neurotransmitters worked and how that applies to anxiety and depression, and the medications given for these conditions, in particular since I have anxiety. On a final note, I also appreciated the many studies presented in the text and the emphasis placed on how we still don't know that much when it comes to the brain. The book prompts you to not take things at face value but to always view "facts" as "hypotheses" that could change in the future and to always have solid research and experiments to backup your findings. I honestly have felt so weird nerding out over a textbook...but that should tell you something in and of itself, right?
December 25, 2013
Emphasis on the psychology side of this text's title. Pinel caters to the B.A. crowd with this text that's notably deficient in adequate scientific explanation. For instance, "salts dissolve in water to form ions" wholly ignores CHEM 101 rules of solubility. Describing the complex physical sciences involved in generating an MRI image as "something to do with hydrogen atoms" is decidedly vague. 'Biopsychology' is a pleasantly science-soft work for those seeking a career in counselling psychology. However, it is deceptive in the amount of scientific accuracy it truly contains.
This being said, Pinel has produced an easy-to-read textbook that engages the reader, often by means of several anecdotes and jokes. My favourite: "Acetylcholine (abbreviated Ach) is a small-molecule neurotransmitter that is in one major respect like a professor who is late for a lecture: It is in a class by itself." It was both a pleasure and a breeze to flip through the text. In-text citations are another enjoyable feature of this edition.
I am a firm believer that even a counselling psychologist should have a solid scientific foundation on the neural bases of affect and cognition. But should one forego this book altogether in favour of Kandel's masterwork? Not exactly - it's a colloquial introduction to the harder science of neurophysiology etc. However, this is something for the library card or the home bookshelf and should not be considered a definitive scientific reference.
This being said, Pinel has produced an easy-to-read textbook that engages the reader, often by means of several anecdotes and jokes. My favourite: "Acetylcholine (abbreviated Ach) is a small-molecule neurotransmitter that is in one major respect like a professor who is late for a lecture: It is in a class by itself." It was both a pleasure and a breeze to flip through the text. In-text citations are another enjoyable feature of this edition.
I am a firm believer that even a counselling psychologist should have a solid scientific foundation on the neural bases of affect and cognition. But should one forego this book altogether in favour of Kandel's masterwork? Not exactly - it's a colloquial introduction to the harder science of neurophysiology etc. However, this is something for the library card or the home bookshelf and should not be considered a definitive scientific reference.
January 11, 2026
Absolutely counting this towards my reading goal. Thanks for carrying me through neuroscience, Pinel 🙏
February 18, 2012
An excellent overview of how the brain functions. When I say I read it, that's something of an overstatement. I read some sections, scanned others, and will come back to it again. This is in preparation for a one-week course next summer at Oxford.
January 24, 2025
Psychology degree check✨️
January 27, 2019
Wie eigentlich alle Pearson Lehrbücher, die ich bisher durchgearbeitet habe:
gute Darstellung der Sachverhalte, interessante Beispiele, gute Aufarbeitung, Wissenstests online und im Buch, leicht verständliche Sprache und viele Bilder zur Veranschaulichung.
Top
gute Darstellung der Sachverhalte, interessante Beispiele, gute Aufarbeitung, Wissenstests online und im Buch, leicht verständliche Sprache und viele Bilder zur Veranschaulichung.
Top
September 7, 2011
I read this for a physiological psychology class but didn't read every chapter (only those that were assigned). After the class was over I planned to read the skipped chapters... but haven't actually gotten around to that. I don't see my opinion of the book changing after finishing it, so I might as well give my 2¢ worth.
It was informative and straightforward, nothing too difficult. Of course as with any textbook there's plenty of detail to get lost in, but a student's success is up to that individual's abilities alone since nothing in the text was ever confusing or written badly.
I figure it's a five-star rating for the information given but overall the book didn't quite reach "it was amazing" status. Since this is the only textbook I've read on the subject I can't say whether it's better or worse than any other of its kind, but I can't think of any reason not to recommend it.
However, if your teacher makes reading this book a painful experience... please, please give the teacher a bad review, not the book!
It was informative and straightforward, nothing too difficult. Of course as with any textbook there's plenty of detail to get lost in, but a student's success is up to that individual's abilities alone since nothing in the text was ever confusing or written badly.
I figure it's a five-star rating for the information given but overall the book didn't quite reach "it was amazing" status. Since this is the only textbook I've read on the subject I can't say whether it's better or worse than any other of its kind, but I can't think of any reason not to recommend it.
However, if your teacher makes reading this book a painful experience... please, please give the teacher a bad review, not the book!
June 5, 2018
All the stories and illustrations about each topic or subject in the book make this book a good read.
Funny thing is that I had a hard time picking and starting to read this book for my exam, but once I started and had a short time until I had to do the exam, I actually found myself wishing I had started reading this book much earlier, so I could enjoy it in a slower tempo.
I am definitely planning on re-reading this book.
Funny thing is that I had a hard time picking and starting to read this book for my exam, but once I started and had a short time until I had to do the exam, I actually found myself wishing I had started reading this book much earlier, so I could enjoy it in a slower tempo.
I am definitely planning on re-reading this book.
July 10, 2014
پیش نیاز حجیم ولی مفید.
December 13, 2018
A very helpful book if you’re getting started in neuropsychology or neurosciences (generally speaking). It explains the brain anatomy and how it works In a easy to read way.
June 10, 2017
Read for PSYC 275
I find I always have trouble understanding in depth any of the more science oriented psychology courses, and this one was no different. The bulk of the textbook is about the structure of the brain and how neurotransmitters send signals, which I found pretty boring but you need to know it before doing the other chapters, like vision and sensorimtor, or else you won't understand the mechanisms of how they work.
The textbook itself was a bit hard to understand, lots of terms and jargon and dry reading without a lot of time spent explaining it in depth enough to fully understand it. But combined with the class itself and definitely the teacher I had, it was a good resource to read before class, so I knew the basics and could get expansion on the things I hadn't quite understood. I'd rate the class 4*, but of course this is about the book only, and I found it one of the less helpful resources of the semester.
I find I always have trouble understanding in depth any of the more science oriented psychology courses, and this one was no different. The bulk of the textbook is about the structure of the brain and how neurotransmitters send signals, which I found pretty boring but you need to know it before doing the other chapters, like vision and sensorimtor, or else you won't understand the mechanisms of how they work.
The textbook itself was a bit hard to understand, lots of terms and jargon and dry reading without a lot of time spent explaining it in depth enough to fully understand it. But combined with the class itself and definitely the teacher I had, it was a good resource to read before class, so I knew the basics and could get expansion on the things I hadn't quite understood. I'd rate the class 4*, but of course this is about the book only, and I found it one of the less helpful resources of the semester.
May 3, 2019
Honestly, this was one of my favorite textbooks from my college career. Before the semester, I was dreading taking this class (which was required for my major). By the end of the semester, it was one of my favorite classes that I have ever taken, both due to the professor and this textbook. Very easy to understand, great visuals, fantastic flow/design, and it feels at times like it was written by a teenage boy (just read it, you'll see).
December 10, 2019
Excellent text book and the only one I have ever read cover to cover. I read the 2016 edition. My only criticism is that some sections were lacking in light of more current research (especially the chapter on sleep). The authors were funny and engaging. This is a great introduction to the field of biopsychology.
April 11, 2018
An acceptable & fairly simple psychology text. Very good if you want to cry about how much society hates marginalized people. And by that I mean that this textbook is a good example of stigmatizing writing.
February 15, 2021
This is a really good shelfbook for quick, easy and introductory explanations about different psychiatric disorders and the brain functions throughout these. Very good visual elements to the explanations as well. Recommended.
October 2, 2024
A wonderful textbook for understanding the biology behind the psychological process and their implications on behaviour (personal and social). Easy to read and understand on well organised information.
February 12, 2019
Pinels masterwork on Biopsychology. One of the best books i have ever read
April 14, 2020
USM, B.S. in Psychology, Animal Behavior class
April 27, 2020
Cerita-cerita sangat membantu memahami konsepnya
June 8, 2020
It talks a lot about disputed theories and history but not much about what was currently going on in the field. I did not like the way the text was organized.
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed the chalk videos but the book was not the most exciting nor was it written in a way to engage the reader. I guess you can't expect much from a textbook.
August 17, 2022
Had to read it for my Biopsychology class. great book. could have deeper insights.
Read
December 29, 2025- Cap. 10 y 11
February 5, 2018
Pinel's Biopsychology offers an excellent overview of the main issues in biological psychology, but in such a way that it does not seem overwhelming with facts. The author found a way to include curious cases and fun examples in every chapter, which is what makes this textbook a real jewel. I really enjoyed reading it, and learned a lot from it.
August 26, 2018
i read parts of it tbh, but I'm reading the rest when i have time
September 2, 2019
Considering this is a text book and I had to read it for my exam, I enjoyed this A LOT. It's really interesting and easy to read. I especially liked all the examples and stories about patients.
September 20, 2014
One of the better psychology texts books I've found. Pinel's writing is for the most part interesting and engaging, if the humor is spotty. This books has three things that make it stand apart from other text books.
First, it's meat and potatoes. Neuroanatomy is hard enough as it is. Information is kept relevant, on a "need to know" basis. If it's in the text book, you should probably know it. Pinel does a good job keeping his writing focused, using space to explain concepts and provide meaningful detail.
Second, the illustrations are top-notch. I found it worthwhile just to spend a lot of time studying the pictures and to make sure I understood how everything within a given chapter relates together. I think this was important for my general understanding of psychology, and Pinel certainly made this task simpler.
Finally, there is a CD included with practice quizzes and other material. In my experience these are usually bogus gimmicks used to inflate the retail price. I wouldn't call this a deal breaker, but I didn't think it was a hustle either.
First, it's meat and potatoes. Neuroanatomy is hard enough as it is. Information is kept relevant, on a "need to know" basis. If it's in the text book, you should probably know it. Pinel does a good job keeping his writing focused, using space to explain concepts and provide meaningful detail.
Second, the illustrations are top-notch. I found it worthwhile just to spend a lot of time studying the pictures and to make sure I understood how everything within a given chapter relates together. I think this was important for my general understanding of psychology, and Pinel certainly made this task simpler.
Finally, there is a CD included with practice quizzes and other material. In my experience these are usually bogus gimmicks used to inflate the retail price. I wouldn't call this a deal breaker, but I didn't think it was a hustle either.
September 6, 2007
Pinel's Biopsychology text book is amazing. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of time and effort that had to go into it. I am not sure, but I really don't think you can find another book in the field of Biopsychology that appeals to such a wide range of readers. This was the text assigned to me during my graduate level Biopsychology class, and honestly when I first registered for the class I thought I was done for! There was no way I was going to be able to master biopsychology - until I bought our text book! Now I am fluent in the concept, theory, and language of biopsychology, and aced the class
May 28, 2012
This book was for my Psych 367 class at Ball State University. It was an educational book that taught me a lot of different aspects of the human mind. It was a pleasant read because the author made the language more on the level of a conversation with him instead of trying to be necessary high-brow which a lot of other texts tend to do. This ease in the text made it easier to read and a result was able to finish the course in a more timely fashion than I thought I would be able to do. When teachers pick the correct text for a class it greatly helps the students and this is a shinning example of that.
January 20, 2013
This is quite good. I read it for class in biological psychology and it's full of well-written, easy-to-grasp knowledge on the subject - and also amusing or interesting cases to illustrate, and even a joke here and there.
The only thing I wish for this book, which it was missing, is chapter summaries. Some might fear that this will allow students to only read summaries and not gain the deeper grasp that full reading lets them have, but now that I'm looking things over for my exam, I'm really missing that quick overview to determine how much I should put into learning things from a chapter and to maybe get a quick reminder.
The only thing I wish for this book, which it was missing, is chapter summaries. Some might fear that this will allow students to only read summaries and not gain the deeper grasp that full reading lets them have, but now that I'm looking things over for my exam, I'm really missing that quick overview to determine how much I should put into learning things from a chapter and to maybe get a quick reminder.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews