Customer Reviews:
 very informative and even entertaining December 2, 2007
A fabulous book from a distinguished scientist who has spent his career in search of memory. Part memoir, part history of neuroscience, and part pop science account, this is definitely an informative and even an entertaining read. It is filled with colorful characters from the past and present of neuroscience, some famous, some primarily known within their particular field of research. One of these colorful characters was Alden Spencer, who was one of Kandel's colleagues, who had a sharp mind and died at a tragically young age. The book also contains some very interesting information about the brain basis of mental illness, including some interesting rodent studies. Also discusses a merging of biological and psychoanalytical thought, plus some recent ideas about consciousness. Overall, a very worthwhile and enjoyable read, for the scientist and general reader alike, delivered with the same thoughtfulness and attention to detail as in his co-authored textbook, Principles of Neural Science. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.
A pleasure and an education. July 2, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The combination of autobiography and science makes it unique. The author acts as an enthusiastic guide to a fascinating area of scientific research. Perhaps there are too many reminiscences about Kandel's colleagues but this adds to the humanity of the story. In no way does it resemble a textbook but this book taught me more about the biology of the brain than any other. I wish I had read it when I was considering university options.
 Science and autobiography September 13, 2006
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Kandel's book is a mixture of science and autobiography, beginning with the flight of his family from Nazi Vienna and concluding with his Nobel Prize and current scientific interests.
His writing is at its best when dealing with science. For a non-scientist, such as myself, his explanations are mercifully clear. The frequent diagrams also help. Although there were passages dealing with the mammalian brain that I found tough going these were few, and leavened by episodes of personal history and anecdote.
Ultimately my expectations created by the book title were not fully borne out. I will not be the only one to wonder whether the sea snail results, however fascinating, really do tell us much about what we commonly think of as memory. Overall I benefited greatly from the investment of time the book requires.
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