Brain, Vision, Memory: Tales in the History of Neuroscience

by Charles G. Gross

In these engaging tales describing the growth of knowledge about the brain—from the early Egyptians and Greeks to the Dark Ages and the Renaissance to the present time—Gross attempts to answer the question of how the discipline of neuroscience evolved into its modern incarnation through the twists and turns of history. Charles G. Gross is an experimental neuroscientist who specializes in brain mechanisms in vision. He is also fascinated by the history of his field. In these tales describing the growth of knowledge about the brain from the early Egyptians and Greeks to the present time, he attempts to answer the question of how the discipline of neuroscience evolved into its modern incarnation through the twists and turns of history. The first essay tells the story of the visual cortex, from the first written mention of the brain by the Egyptians, to the philosophical and physiological studies by the Greeks, to the Dark Ages and the Renaissance, and finally, to the modern work of Hubel and Wiesel. The second essay focuses on Leonardo da Vinci's beautiful anatomical work on the brain and the was Leonardo drawing the body observed, the body remembered, the body read about, or his own dissections? The third essay derives from the question of whether there can be a solely theoretical biology or biologist; it highlights the work of Emanuel Swedenborg, the eighteenth-century Swedish mystic who was two hundred years ahead of his time. The fourth essay entails a how did the largely ignored brain structure called the "hippocampus minor" come to be, and why was it so important in the controversies that swirled about Darwin's theories? The final essay describes the discovery of the visual functions of the temporal and parietal lobes. The author traces both developments to nineteenth-century observations of the effect of temporal and parietal lesions in monkeys—observations that were forgotten and subsequently rediscovered.

Genres: Nonfiction, Neuroscience, Psychology, Science

273 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 1998

Reviews

[Bharath Talluri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on the history of Neuroscience research, somewhat specialised to Vision in the later parts of the book. The author delivers each chapter objectively, and laid equal emphasis on theories that were later proven wrong and theories that survived well into modern Neuroscience. It was amusing (and at times hilarious) to get insights into scientific debates during various stages of Neuroscience research. The book is ideal for undergrads, but also fascinating to advanced Neuroscientists.

[Mert Kizilyamac · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable reading on the history of thinking about the human brain. Depicts the quite nonlinear development of contemporary neuroscience through insights, mysticism, art, dissections, coincidences, discoveries and rediscoveries. Is there anything distinctive and unique about the human brain that sets it apart from the brains of other animals? I was left with this question after finishing the book.

[Andrew Bahle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was extremely inspiring and makes me sad I’ll never get to meet Charlie Gross. The ancient history was fascinating as were the detailed accounts of scientific disputes.

The final essay really gave me new reverence for the intensive work that went into mapping the visual pathways in primates. Evidence of that work was all around me during my PhD but this book made it feel real and exciting

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

i had to read this for my neurobiology course and genuinely enjoyed it. despite my limited understanding of neuroscience, i was able to follow along and understand almost everything!!

[Kody Dibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about the history and various aspects of neuro-scientific discoveries.