Principles of Neural Science

by Eric R. Kandel

A Doody's Core Title for 2011!

5 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW!
"This is a simply wonderful book that makes accessible in one place all the details of how the neuron and brain work. The writing is clear. The drawings are elegant and educational. The book is a feast for both the eye and mind. The richness, the beauty, and the complexity of neuroscience is all captured in this superb book."--Doody's Review Service

Now in resplendent color, the new edition continues to define the latest in the scientific understanding of the brain, the nervous system, and human behavior. Each chapter is thoroughly revised and includes the impact of molecular biology in the mechanisms underlying developmental processes and in the pathogenesis of disease. Important features to this edition include a new chapter - Genes and Behavior; a complete updating of development of the nervous system; the genetic basis of neurological and psychiatric disease; cognitive neuroscience of perception, planning, action, motivation and memory; ion channel mechanisms; and much more. (20011101)

Genres: Neuroscience, Science, Psychology, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Biology, Brain

3748 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1981

About the author

Eric Richard Kandel is an Austrian-born American medical doctor who specialized in psychiatry, a neuroscientist and a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. He was a recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons. He shared the prize with Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard.
Kandel was from 1984 to 2022 a Senior Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He was in 1975 the founding director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, which is now the Department of Neuroscience at Columbia University. He currently serves on the Scientific Council of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Kandel's popularized account chronicling his life and research, In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind, was awarded the 2006 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science and Technology.

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a massive volume that provides a detailed sense of "the principles of neural science," the work's title. Basic statistics: the book weighs about nine pounds; it is 1709 pages long; it has 67 chapters; there are six appendices; 79 authors are involved; the book is divided up into 9 parts, each with numerous chapters. To compare, the fourth edition (published in 2000) had about 1400 pages. This volume is not meant for a general audience, but it is a wonderful resource for those who can work their way through its many chapters. I have found earlier volumes in this series very helpful for one part of my academic research agenda (the political implications of human biology).

Let's take a look at the structure of the volume, to illustrate the substance of the book. Part I provides an overall perspective on the scope of the book. The chapters examine the role of the brain in behavior, a summary of nerve cells and their function, and the relationship between genes, the brain, and behavior. With this serving as an introduction, Part II goes on to examine cells and the molecular biology of the neuron. Among subjects covered: The structure and nature of neurons and glial cells (which support neurons) and the electrical properties of neurons. Part III focuses on synapses, which provide for communication between and among neurons. How do synapses operate? What are chemical and electrical modes of operation? What is the role of neurotransmitters? Finally, this section considers diseases of the nerve and systems that they support.

Part IV is very important for my research interests--"The Neural Basis of Cognition." How does the brain and its structure affect cognition Chapter 15 describes the structure of the central nervous system and how the cerebral cortex, for example, affects cognition. In the chapter is a discussion of how the cerebral cortex is organized by layers AND by columns. Other important chapters in this section include effects on cognitive functioning of the brain outside the cerebral cortex and how functional imaging of cognition works (and the limitations with the use of such technology).

Part V summarizes our understanding of perception, how we come to experience the world around us. Subjects? The somatosensory system, touch, pain, vision (with five chapters devoted to the subject), the inner ear, hearing, and smell and taste. Part VI? Movement. The chapters herein explore the various elements in making movement possible. We learn of the different brain areas and other support systems underlying movement and locomotion.

How do people process information? Part VII concentrates on this, and this segment is also of relevance for my own research interests. Part VIII targets development and emergence of behavior. The one chapter in this section that is most poignant to me is Chapter 59--"The Aging Brain." The chapter speaks to what we know of the effects of aging on the brain and its functioning. Finally, section IX, "Language, Affect, and Learning." These represent key issues of interest in our understanding of central features of being human.

This book is not something that most of us would skim. But it is a compendium that well illustrates what we know about the structure and function of the brain. For those interested in the subject, this is an important work.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading for fun.. thoooose were the days.

I stole my copy. Well within my rights under the educational instructional purposes defined as fair use by congress. I stole it and it's mine.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fundamental chunk of any neuroscientist's educational career will be spent with one's nose in this book. I have heard people using this book for Ph. D. preparations, and am using it myself as an undergraduate student. What is most brilliant about Kandel's work is his ability to write for a range of audiences. Principles of Neural Science is not difficult to read. Any student with a few elementary sciences courses behind them will be able to understand all of what is put forth in this great work. Diagrams are beautifully unstylized and two-dimensional. The layout of this text is spacious, providing the reader with room to absorb the often-heavy concepts within its pages. Despite such simplicities, its breadth is impressive.

Complaints: it is very heavy. Impractically so. I think I've developed bicep muscles where there were none before. The edition I am using is somewhat lacking in the details of current neuroscientific research trends (eg. neuroimaging, addiction circuitry). This has been frustrating at times, when trying to understand the underlying principles behind a research publication I'm studying. However, this is perhaps to its benefit. The content of "Principles" is solid and standard. It is cautious when approaching a recently-discovered concept. This property will lead to a remarkable lifespan for this textbook. Though neuroscience as a whole is in rapid evolution, I don't believe that this book has been swept up in the currents of its frenzy.

Thus, Principles is any neuroscientist's best mate.

[Mark Longo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This text represents a bloated hodgepodge of factoids and neo-phrenology. The problem is that molecular detail is rich, and higher level explanations are vapid. There is little substantive middle ground tying the two together. Concepts and tools to bridge that gap do exist. They include network theory (just how do neurons compute logic, and how does network structure constrain flows to lead to appropriate "information processing"?), complexity concepts such as emergence and agent based modeling (which demonstrate how large scale patterns can emerge from the interactions of agents following simple local rules), philosophical theories of part/whole relations, simulations, mathematical concepts such as fractals and chaos (as they relate to iterative patterns of development and sensitivity to both small parameter changes and developmental history) and most importantly, dynamics. It's as if Walter Freeman never existed. I read this whole thing and understand little more about how the mind works than when I started.

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this simply because it was my bible for three years of my life. I ate, slept and drank with a library copy of Kandel by my side (that I just kept renewing online every month for the whole three years).

[Amirography · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is considered a bible amongst neuroscientists. So my review holds it to that god damn high standard.
Basically it is an amazing book. Some chapters are pretty basic (as they should be) and some are pretty advanced (as you should expect). This is fine, however it would have been nice for you to not need a professor to help you understand those advance chapters. Also considering that in no class, professors ask you to read the whole damn thing, and they recommend chapters from different textbooks based on the need, it would have been nice for the latter chapters not to be so dependent on you reading the whole book before you understand what it says.
As i said, the standards I'm holding this book to is pretty damn high, otherwise it is a gold.

[Jan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have some not-so-coherent thoughts on this:
-This book taught me that we know a lot, but there is far more that we do not know. The authors are open about that. It has a lot of detailed information on molecular processes in and between neurons and on very basic mechanics of their functions. The book also provides great content on higher-level phenomena like visual perception or consciousness, but the research results are far less certain there. As a rule of thumb, if someone has a “neuro” explaination of something relevant to your everyday life it might be not as research-based as the fancy words suggest.
- Excellent, terse writing style and no-nonsense headlines which summarize the section in a few words. Also, lots and lots of clear illustrations and diagrams.
- It pays off to remember some chemistry and physics to understand the book – although it has an excellent recap for that in its appendix (The appendix has several chapters, there is a lot of background info there)
- It is a reference book that you read on a table. I used to carry it around with me quite a bit and it is clearly not made for that.

[Rebecca Zanrè · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually read it a month ago for a uni exam.
What to say about it?
Very well written but simply suicidal to read and soul-shattering to STUDY.
But since I've passed my exam I don't see why I don't have to include it in the books I've read in 2013.
'Cause I damn did.

[Yates Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you study Neuroscience this is the key text, every other text will go to support and complement what you try to read here. Not an easy read, extremely dense, not really in the format of a standard university textbook but at the same time this is the textbook that defines the field.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written overview of most of the topics in modern neuroscience. This was surprisingly readable.

[Andy McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After its release was pushed back many times, the 5th edition finally came out within the past year, and I have been reading it on my laptop’s Kindle app throughout my first year of core PhD courses and in preparing for my qualifying exam. I had read some of the 4th edition during undergrad, as well.

In general my feelings towards the book are warm, and I do expect that if you read the textbook, dear reader of this review, you will learn a lot from it.

Positives

1) Does a good job of not trying to be Alberts’ *Molecular Biology of the Cell*. The sections on cell biology, the central dogma, and non-neuroscience-related signaling pathways are refreshingly bare-boned. Seek resources elsewhere if you want to go ham on transcription, translation, and the MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK cascade.

2) Perception, sensation, and movement were not the reasons that I first became interested in neuroscience, and, generalizing from my one example as is de rigueur in book reviews, I think that is true of most students. And while this might be just Stockholm syndrome, I’m actually quite happy that there is so much detail and care put into these sections which make up around 1/3rd of the text. These fields are way more tractable to study than the sexy emotion, learning, and personal identity, yet the most of the principles that have been discovered there are likely to generalize.

As an example of this, consider the work of Charles Sherrington, who among other accomplishments won the 1932 Nobel for explaining spinal reflexes as a balance of excitation and inhibition. And now that we have some fancy techniques like conditional genetic KOs and optogenetics, we know that a variety of other phenomena, from critical periods to anxiety, are also regulated via a very similar balance of excitation and inhibition.

3) Most chapters do an excellent job of motivating their material. For example, they emphasize themes from the history of how people have thought about the brain, e.g. James and Freud. There are also a few references to art and literature, such as Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, that are really money.

4) Most fundamentally, this is the eminent textbook on how your mind works and how you are able to understand the words that you are currently reading. And there are some chapters, especially the last three (65 – 67), that really delve into this. What’s there not to love?

Negatives

1) In general neuroscience tries very hard to distinguish itself from psychology and this makes good sense in terms of specialization. But the field is still operating in the wake of Karl Lashley, a famous experimentalist who in the 1930s concluded that brain regions had “equipotentiality” for learning mazes not because his lesions were flawed but because his tasks were not specific enough. Designing behavioral tasks is not trivial. Yet, you will not read much about the principles behind how to do so, and nothing about the matching law or Rescorla-Wagner. (My bias: I did some research in learning and behavior in undergrad.)

2) For one of our classes we read an older (3rd edition) version of Chapter 13 on Neurotransmitters. There were way more equations explaining different models of neurotransmitter vesicle release patterns, e.g. explaining the use of the Poisson distribution as an approximation for the binomial. It doesn’t make sense that the text has become less quantitative at the same time that math has become easier to use to explain phenomena, as a result of advances in systems biology and just programming generally.

3) Why does searching for “optogenetics” yield me zero results?

4) I prefer my pedagogical material to be structured in the format of *example 1*, *example 2*, (*optional example 3*), and *inducted principle*. The examples only matter insofar as they motivate the principles. Kandel’s textbook strays slightly too far from this, I think. In particular, the text tends to enshrine the examples, such CREB, CamKII, PKA, and the ilk, as worthy of our worship in and of themselves. This sets the trend for how neuroscience courses should be taught and for that reason it is a bit troubling.

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, it's probably generally seen as the best neuroscience textbook only because it is the largest and densest neuroscience information resource.

When one eventually gets to the point of using a neuroscientific 'fact' in empirical research or theory they need to know how it was found, and this can only be done in sufficient detail by reading the original paper, textbooks will not suffice for the practioner. And with that assumption, the cramming of information in this book comes with the loss of wider perspective, emphasis and hand-holding which is the normal appeal of a textbook.

I'd say Kandel's book is particular hype comes from the added appeal to those who find it difficult to find small particular details about a concept that were otherwise too functionally insignificant to reference in other competing textbooks which have a greater consideration of keeping a concise, easy-to-read-and-follow, generalised overview.

[GONZA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studiato tantissimi anni fa per l'esame di Fondamenti anatomo fisiologici dell'attivitá psichica. Uno dei piú bei libri di sempre.

[Asia]

this is one of my favorite things that I own

[Stetson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kandel's textbook Principles of Neural Science is one of the seminal tomes that comprehensively catalogs the advances and tenets of neuroscience. It is not a beginner's text yet still is fairly accessible. It is worth the read and investment, especially if you are a scientist or just deeply interested in the science of the brain and nervous system.

Here are some major "principles" of neuroscience one can glean from the text:

1) Neurons are the basic building blocks of the nervous system. They are specialized cells that are able to transmit information in the form of electrical and chemical signals.

2) Neurons are connected to one another through specialized structures called synapses, which allow them to communicate and coordinate their activity.

3) The function of a neuron is determined by its structure, including the number and distribution of its dendrites, axons, and synapses.

3) Neurons are able to change their structure and function in response to experience, a process known as neural plasticity. This allows the nervous system to adapt and learn.

4) The nervous system is organized into a hierarchy of interconnected networks, with each level of the hierarchy contributing to different aspects of behavior and cognition.

5) The activity of neurons is influenced by many factors, including chemical signals from other neurons, hormones, and neurotransmitters.

6) The nervous system is capable of producing a wide range of behaviors, including sensory perception, motor control, and complex cognitive processes such as learning, memory, and decision-making.

I mentioned "neural plasticity" as an important phenomenon. It is a concept that is often abused in sociopolitical discourse to justify a vision of extremely mutable human cognition and behavior. Kandel's text helps illustrate the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms that enable plasticity:

1) Changes in the strength of synapses: The strength of the connections between neurons can be modified through a process known as synaptic plasticity. This can occur through mechanisms such as long-term potentiation ("nerves that fire together, wire together"), in which repeated activation of a synapse leads to an increase in its strength, and long-term depression, in which repeated inactivity of a synapse leads to a decrease in its strength.

2) Changes in the number and distribution of synapses: The number and distribution of synapses can also be modified through processes such as synaptogenesis, in which new synapses are formed, and synapse elimination or pruning, in which existing synapses are removed. Synaptic pruning defects are considered part of the pathomechanism of schizophrenia and autism.

3) Changes in the expression of genes and proteins: Neural plasticity can also involve changes in the expression of genes and proteins within neurons. This can lead to changes in the structure and function of neurons, as well as changes in the strength and number of synapses.

4) Changes in the activity of neurons: The activity of neurons can be modified through neural plasticity, leading to changes in the patterns of electrical and chemical signals they produce. This can result in changes in the way neurons respond to stimuli and interact with one another.

Understanding the mechanisms of plasticity help illustrate the constraints that are on it. The overall architecture and physiology of the brain doesn't radically or rapidly shift and as we age the brain becomes less plastic. Moreover, it is also evident our evolved neural physiology is built for certain patterns of behaviors and tasks even when these things have to be learned (as opposed to pure instinctual behavioral patterns which are limited or significantly modified by learning in humans).

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kandell, Schwartz and Jessel text on neuroscience is by far the most complete account of scientific theory on the brain and its mechanical and biochemical structures. Unfortunately, the fourth edition was published in 2000, and a great many advances have been made since then. Many of the structures and theories proposed are now out of date, and several things that are listed as unknown or untested have been better resolved. The upcoming publication of a fifth edition is very highly anticipated but has been postponed more than once.

[Gina Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a page turner, really. It has everything you want to know about the brain except anatomy and electrophysiology. Those two are covered well be The Human Brain Coloring Book (really, it is my desk reference!)and by Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes, by Hille (NOT a page-turner by any means, but it has everything you'd want to know on the subject).

[BVC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Più completo del Bear.
Comunque, in entrambi i casi, non limitarsi a studiarli ma affiancare altro studio autonomo con letteratura e altri manuali.
Presenti informazioni errate/inesatte, come il presunto rapporto Neuroni/Glia 1:50.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fine textbook. You'll never finish it all, but if you want to get up to speed on perception, etc. it's a great way to do it.

[Elari · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I only read one book, but it's a good book, don't you know?"
– Decontextualized Tim Minchin

[Jeffrey Rubard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neuroscience is one of the linguae francae of modern life, but although there are many popular books about certain aspects of modern neuroscientific theory it's incredibly difficult to acquire sufficient knowledge of the whole enterprise (to, for example, meet your 'prescriber' on an even footing). There are a few well-established 'omnibus' neuroscience textbooks; the largest (and perhaps the best) is Principles of Neural Science, edited by the Nobelist Eric Kandel. Kandel's own books like In Search of Memory and The Age of Insight reveal he has a very good understanding of how to write scientific prose for a wide audience—one not necessarily shared by his peers—so this massive tome (currently in its fifth edition with over 1700 pages) is actually constructed to be read and comprehended.

The book has sixty-seven chapters organized into nine "Parts"; broadly speaking, it begins with the molecular and anatomical basics of neuroscience and then moves into more 'high-level' and somewhat more speculative theories of biological psychology based upon them. There is a tremendous wealth of information those exposed only to 'soundbite neuroscience' will not have seen: for example, the ways in which 'gene expression' is now thought to cause psychiatric disorders would ordinarily be opaque to those of us outside the field but examples drawn from animal research make the concept far easier to grasp. In fact, I heartily encourage those fascinated by the discipline but not especially 'sciencey' to be of good courage; the book is written roughly to the level of New Scientist articles, meaning anyone intelligent and diligent should be able to comprehend most of the material presented.

The Fifth Edition of this book was published in 2012; although 7 years is a fairly significant stretch of time in modern medical research, obviously a book published within a decade will be more 'relevant' to contemporary research than the hoary classics those of us in, e.g., philosophy might initially come up against. Furthermore, like Hennessy and Patterson's Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach in Computer Science it is a 'benchmark' text that articulates key principles of neuroscientific research and the extent to which current theories are 'historicized' against the backdrop of past breakthroughs is laudable. Purves' Neuroscience, its main competitor, has an edition from 2017: if information on the most current topics is what you absolutely need, perhaps you should consult it. Otherwise I can heartily recommend this book for those looking to 'make peace with the brain' and our modern scientific understanding of it.

[Zari Bhatti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the only textbook I’ve ever read and probably will read. I’m just not a textbook person. I laboriously read this over a summer in preparation for a year intercalating in neuroscience. It was excruciating but that’s what you get when you read a textbook from cover to cover. It’s a good book for getting a basic understanding of the breadth of neuroscience and the knowledge I acquired served me well during my course. The earlier sections were detailed but later sections were more descriptive with selected examples. Overall my advice is:
1. Don’t read the whole thing
2. To get a good basic background to your topic of interest read the relevant chapters
3. For more detail check out the recommended reading

[Bogdan Toma · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it might appear as an impenetrable tome if one were to judge the book by its sheer volume, "Principles of Neural Science" delivers valuable knowledge on a broad range of neuro topics, starting from the realm of molecular biology and neurotransmitters, to language and cognition.
It manages to do so in an elegant manner all the way throught, delving into intricate details without ever ommiting the big picture, with emphasis on the experimental approach. As neuroscience is an ever evolving field, I assume that the next edition (which is due in April this year) will contain many updates in some parts.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A textbook that covers everything you might ever want to know about how the central nervous system works from neurons & synapses to regions of the brain to a breakdown by functional areas such as vision, speech, touch, memory and emotions.

It's aimed at medical students but it is fairly easy to read for anyone who knows a bit about biology. You can skip over the bits where he goes very deep into the chemistry.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and well written. The material is overwhelming and it would be beneficial if parts of it could be condensed or organized in a different manner to promote certain principles instead of being a compendium of information overflow. However, it is a useful resource for looking up background information with which to dig deeper.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful heavy book. Enjoyable cover-to-cover read even for the non-specialist. Some cell biology and chemistry background knowledge would be handy but can also be picked up along the way.

Clear writing, extensive detailed color diagrams, fine paper, sturdy binding, sensible ordering of topics. One chapter a day and you’ll be done in two months. Look forward to the next edition.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely haven’t read all the pages in this 1000+ page textbook but between two neuroscience classes I read a lot of it. This is THEEE neuroscience textbook and it goes into so much detail. I can see myself reading pages of this book in the future when I am bored. Can’t wait to lug this five pound book with me the rest of my life!!

[Lizzie Grace uwu · Rating 4 out of 5]

100 on the exam but at what cost
(they gave the frogs a third eye they gave the mice cocaine
when i scream i know why i know what molecules force me to
my astrocytes clean up the spill lest i scream louder
i fall silent i am a post synaptic synapse with no AMPA)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Bible

[Daniel Garcia Bohrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro magnífico!