Reviews (1)

The Bible of Auditory Electrophysiology
This book is an essential volume for any clinician involved in the electrophysiological assessment of hearing. It is an invaluable resource, and I was excited to learn that an updated edition is in the works. This text is a comprehensive reference and is also excellent for troubleshooting difficult cases. It's amazing how much information can be coherently organized into a single volume. I would emphatically recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

For over 50 years, The Little Red Book has been a primer for members of Alcoholics Anonymous.Each page acts as a study guide to the Big Book and its teachings. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Brought me to A.A.
I was reading the Little Red Book, and the chapter on Step 2, made me evaluate my drinking, and enter the doors of A.A. That was 30 years ago May 3, and I have never left.

In Depth Insites into the Twelve Steps
This little red book has so much more to offer in the Spiritual realm of tha AA Twelve Steps than the Twelve and Twelve alone. In combination with the 12 & 12, nothing is left in doubt!

A Great Guide Through the Steps
The first time that I saw the steps. I thought I knew it all. When I learned that I didn't, I was scared. This book helped me and my sponsees through the steps by keeping them simple.

A Little Book Packed with Big Thoughts & Ideas!
If you are recovering from Alcoholism or desire to, this book along with "The Big Book" (real title "Alcohoics Anonymous") are absolute musts.

This book skillfully and lovingly takes you through each of the 12 Steps. It helps the reader to work out an acceptable schedule for living each 24 hours, one day at a time.

The Little Red Book is written from practical experience by other alcoholics who have found peace of mind and contentment in sobriety.

Do not let the size of this book deceive you! It is jam packed with practical advice and insightful suggestions to help anyone who desires to recover from alcohlism. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed to bring you from your current level of knowledge to a fully advanced ECG interpreter, this book features 200+ full-size, real- life ECGs accompanied by thorough explanations and analyses. Presented in a clear and casual writing style, the book's leveled approach takes a complex subject and makes it simple. Whether you are an EMT, nurse, medical student, or physician wanting to learn or brush up on your knowledge of electrocardiography, this text will meet your needs. Containing more than 200 ECG strips, 12-Lead ECG is designed to be accessed by three different levels of readers--beginner, intermediate, and advanced--and is designed to grow with you as your knowledge of electrocardiography progresses. The text has been created to be continuously useful during your development and is intended to be read and reread as you advance in your knowledge and comfort level with the material. By rereading the material at increasingly advanced levels, you will get more out of the material and retain it with greater use. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent 12 Lead ECG Book for All Levels
This is by far the best book for learning and refining 12-lead ECG interpretation skills that I have read. The material is structured so that it can be used as a classroom text or as a self-guided teaching tool. Within the book, Garcia and Holtz divide the material into three clearly marked levels from a basic review of cardiac physiology through an advanced level of ECG interpretation. The text is written in an easy-to-read, conversational style and the graphics and ECG tracings are some of the best I've ever seen in this kind of book. On top of this, Garcia and Holtz have included plenty of useful diagnostic pearls throughout each chapter, making this a highly readable and educational book. I use levels one and two to teach my paramedic students the fundamentals of 12-lead ECG interpretation. I also recommend Garcia and Miller's "Arrhythmia Recognition: The Art of Interpretation" (ISBN 0763722464) as a rhythm interpretation reference.

Excellent study guide
This book is hands down the best book on EKG interpretation I've ever used. Garcia and Holtz start you from the basics and go no where but up to the top, all the while drilling in the concepts with repeat practice EKGs. This is what makes it extremely practical - you'll be able to put the information you learn to use right away. If you're just starting to learn about EKGs, this book is well worth the cost

Simply The Best!
I have been teaching 12 Lead ECGs and Acute Coronary Syndromes for several years now, and I have read just about every book available on the topic. I can tell you without a doubt that this is the most comprehensive 12 lead book I have ever owned. Garcia and Holtz have truly done a service to the medical communtiy by compiling this book.

I love the way this book is arranged. Part I of the book (about 70 pages) deals with anatomy, physiology, basic rhythm interpretation, and the nuts and bolts of electrocardiography. Part II of the book (the remaining 600 plus pages) deals with the art of interpretation. Garcia and Holtz are innovative. Explanations are color coded into various levels of difficulty. If you are new to 12 leads, you can stick to level 1 explanations (blue). If you're getting the hang of things, or have some experience already, you can take it to level 2 (green). Or, if you're at the physician level, you're sure to enjoy the level III commentary (orange). This makes _12-Lead ECG The Art of Interpretation_ the gift that keeps on giving as you become more proficient at 12 lead interpretation.

If you're only interested in identifying acute myocardial infarction, then you might want to consider Tim Phalen's book. It will tell you everything you need to know. However, if you really want to learn how to read a 12 lead ECG, then this book is definitely for you. Whether it's atrial enlargemt, a depolarization abnormality, drug effect, ischemia, or just about anything else you can think of, you're likely to find several outstanding examples in this book.

It's well worth the investment.

Something for Everyone
This is an excellent book. It is well laid out and easy to follow with enough information to satisfy most potential users, regardless of knowledge base.
I highly recommend this book if you are serious about learning 12 lead interpritation. If you are strictly looking for rhythm interpritation, there are better.

One of the best EKG books available, esp for med students
This book is fantastic, and in my opinion is of a much better quality and more user-friendly than the Dubin text ("Rapid Interpretation of EKGs") that is so widely lauded. For a start, Dr. Garcia and Mr. Holtz have a wonderful, friendly, amusing, down-to-earth style of writing that is without the pretense so common among books geared to medical professionals. The three level system is great for prioritizing the material into what you absolutely must know versus things that are nice to know but can wait. Level 1 breaks down the basics into the true basics, assumes you know nothing (or almost nothing, which is a significant number of 3rd year med students like me! After cramming so much for so long, there's bound to be brain leakage...) Levels 2 and 3 are great, but are probably beyond the scope of anything a med student is likely to see on a shelf exam or even the USMLE Steps 1 and 2. Could be wrong, but that's the impression I have so far. If you have the time, it certainly can't hurt. At any rate, this book is a very easy read, full of nice big pictures and pretty colors (great for tired eyes and visual learners in general), and is perhaps the only book I've read on the subject thus far that has actually stuck with me! At the very least, make this a strongly recommended buy to your school's librarian, but you'll probably want a copy for yourself as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For reliability and validity
In an era of accountability, McDowell and Newell do an excellent job of pulling together instruments to assess patients' health. Although this volume was primary designed for Occupational and Physical Therapists, it should have a broader audience. It includes over 80 instruments with a summary on how to employ each device with estimates of reliability and validity. They give more than adequate details to enable the professional to make decisions regarding the quality and appropriateness of each single measure. Users of these tools need to comprehend the extreme lengths that it took for McDowell and Newell to accomplish their task. Their work is truly impressive. On pages 47-50, the authors do a particularly good job explaining the difference between ADL and IADL.

In addition, the authors do a particularly good job in providing technical details needed by professionals to make decisions about the need and appropriateness of an instrument to serve the specific needs of a patient. Students who are learning about calibration of psychometric instruments will also find the work beneficial. They will immediately see the practical application of theoretical concepts presented in classroom decisions. I have placed this fine book on closed serve for students to use after my presentation on reliability and validity.

Every university library should adopt a copy this is fine monograph. ... Read more

Book Description

When you "OUTSMART" your cancer, only the cancer cells die - not your healthy cells!In writing "Outsmart Your Cancer: Alternative Non-Toxic Treatments That Work", Tanya Harter Pierce interviewed scores of people who outsmarted their cancer and went on to live normal healthy lives.Read their real-life stories and how they completely recovered from lung, breast, prostate, colon, kidney, brain, bone, pancreatic, lymphatic, and other types of cancer using non-toxic approaches!In an easy-to-understand conversational style, this book also explains the sound scientific reasons for the successes of alternative cancer therapies. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best cancer book I have seen!
If you or someone you know has cancer, this is the book to start with.Easy-to-read look at:causes, twelve effective, alternative non-toxic "treatments", emotional and nutritional issues, and a closer look at the real ineffectiveness and dangers of conventional treatments(surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy). Includes contact information for obtaining each alternative treatment.
Main part of book is 384 pages followed by Recommended Resources, Five Big Environmental Cancer Triggers, References, and a thorough Index.
Alternatives are thoroughly explained and range from simple dietary methods to special supplements to clinics to go to for a range of treatments. These alternatives vary greatly in their difficulty and frequency of use and in their cost, but all are less expensive than conventional treatments both monetarily and in the toll they take on your body.These amazingly effectivealternatives not only Outsmart Your Cancer but work by improving your overall health!

A Bright Light in a Sea of Darkness
For those of us who are fcing the challenge of cancer for the first time "Outsmart Your Cancer" is that bright light that separates factual information from hype and marketing.
It took months and more internet surfing than I care to remember, plus aggressively marketed literature, promising "valuable information", before I found this book, which is the only book on alternative, non-toxic, cancer treatments that is thoroughly and well researched, objective and written in plain, layman's language.
I strongly urge everyone facing this deadly disease to read this book in order to come to an informed decision relative to the appropriate treatment for your circumstances.Buy it now!

The Best Book on Cancer Alternatives I've Read
If you have cancer, or are helping a loved one with cancer, you will want to read this book!I have read numerous books and websites on alternative cancer approaches and none so far has compared to Outsmart Your Cancer.Every chapter amazed me with new insights.But what really thrilled me was finding out about some truly powerful alternative treatments - such as the formula called "Protocel"-- that I had NEVER heard about before, but that could rid the body of cancer even in many late-stage, metastasized cases.Other treatments, like "Cesium High pH Therapy", were ones I had already read about but had only learned of the original form of it.It was quite impressive to read that a much more assimilable and effective way to do administer cesium has recently come out and involves the little-known use of liquid ionic minerals.Plus, the chapter on "How to Evaluate Conventional Methods" gave me more practical information for weighing the pros and cons of mainstream cancer treatments than I'd come across before - including 8 very helpful questions to ask your oncologist about the treatment he or she is recommending. I believe that anyone who reads this book will be amazed at how much they learn and will feel they have treatment options at their fingertips that are effective, obtainable, and affordable!

The Best Way to Save Yourself from Your Cancer
You have just been diagnosed with CANCER! The big "C." It's not someone else - it's YOU, and if you just sit there stunned, you will DIE!! - Miserably! You must do something, so you start asking around to find out your options.

You have only two:
1. Let someone else decide what is best for you and give in to chemo, surgery, radiation, and all the accompanying medical horrors.
2. Take matters into your own hands, and save yourself.

If you decide to take charge of your own life, start by reading Outsmart Your Cancer.It is the result of some amazing research by Tanya Harter Pierce.This information would take years to find for yourself.The book is complete with information on all the major alternative non-toxic cancer treatments available today.

This is a wonderful book.I am still alive today because I used one of the approaches described in Outsmart Your Cancer - I chose the Protocel treatment because it is backed by solid science, and it is a therapy compatible with my busy lifestyle.The book has an excellent description of Protocel, its history, how to take it, and how-and-why it works.

Almost 18 months ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer (the tumor was larger than a big, solid walnut).Hoping to ward-off surgery, I went for chemotherapy.It was a lethal combination of three of the most deadly concoctions ever devised by humans.The side-effects are unspeakable.

After 5 months of chemo, there was little change in the tumor, and radical surgery was indicated.Somehow death was not as scary as the radical surgery, radiation, and more chemo.I refused.Two days later I read Tanya Harter Pierce's description of Protocel, and I got my life back.

If only I had read Outsmart Your Cancer before the chemo, I would have saved myself a lot of physical pain and heartache.Instead, thanks to Tanya's book and Protocel, I have not needed surgery and the tumor is almost gone.I still have my energy (I am doing pilates and taking tango lessons).

Outsmart Your Cancer tells you all you need to know to evaluate these different treatments and how to get back to health.It is a real bargain, - complete with contact information, names, and numbers.You will find your time and money was well-spent.
--Liz M ... Read more

Book Description

Transgenic and knockout mutations provide an important means for understanding gene function, as well as for developing therapies for genetic diseases. This engaging and informative book discusses the many advances in the field of transgenic technology that have enabled researchers to bring about various changes in the mouse genome. Equal emphasis is given to both the principles of transgenic and knockout methods and their applications. A clear and concise format provides researchers with a comprehensive review of the behavioral paradigms appropriate for analyzing mouse phenotypes.

What's Wrong with My Mouse? explains the differences between transgenic knockout mice and their wild-type controls, while providing critical information about gene function and expression. This volume recognizes that newly identified genes can provide useful insights into brain functioning, including brain malfunctioning in disease states. Written by a world-renowned expert in the field, the material also covers:
* How to generate a transgenic or knockout mouse
* functions (open field, holeboard, rotarod, balance, grip, circadian activity, etc.)
* Sensory abilities (olfaction, vision, hearing, taste, touch, nociception)
* Reproductive behavior, social behavior, and emotional behavior

Researchers in neuroscience, pharmacology, genetics, developmental biology, and cell biology will all find this book essential reading. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Valuable Book
"...this valuable book is currently the most complete overview of behavioral procedures available...it is a must have and a must read book..." (Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 2002)

Essential Book
"I would recommend that every behavioral scientist has at least two copies, one for their own use and one that will be on permanent loan to their students, post-doctoral students and colleagues in molecular biology." -- TRENDS in Pharmacological Sciences (Gerard R. Dawson, Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories)

Expert Review
"[T]his volume succeeds as a useful introduction to the realm of behavioral phenotyping for those interested in creating or using the large and increasing number of promising targeted mutant mice." -- TRENDS in Neurosciences (John K. Belknap, Oregon Health Sciences University)

Review
It is a much prized addition... and fulfills a heretofore unmet need for a comprehensive sourcebook of mutant mouse literature and procedures. In addition to its reference utility, Dr. Crawley's text can exert a valuable influence on the future of transgenic and knockout mouse research by standardizing behavioral phenotyping methods according to the present state-of-the-art. --Stephen C. Heinrichs, Ph.D., Boston College

an excellent resource
Very timely given the increasingly recognized importance of providing behavioral phenotypes of mutant mice. I would recommend the book with enthusiasm. --Eric Nestler, Yale University School of Medicine ... Read more

Book Description

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has gained wide acceptance as a new diagnostic technique in adult acquired heart disease because of its relatively non-invasive nature and its high image quality compared with transthoracic echocardiography. With the introduction of smaller transesophageal probes, the use of TEE to display cardiac anatomy and assess surgical repair in infants and children with complex congenital heart disease has become possible. This new book provides an authoritative introduction to all aspects of the procedure. It will be invaluable to all paediatric cardiologists and adult cardiologists who wish to use TEE in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with congenital heart disease. It will also be of interest to cardiac surgeons and anaesthetists who use TEE in the perioperative period. ... Read more

Book Description

Authored by an acknowledged expert on muscle and movement imbalances, this well-illustrated book presents a classification system of mechanical pain syndrome that is designed to direct the exercise prescription and the correction of faulty movement patterns. The diagnostic categories, associated muscle and movement imbalances, recommendations for treatment, examination, exercise principles, specific corrective exercises, and modification of functional activities for case management are described in detail. This book is designed to give practitioners an organized and structured method of analyzing the mechanical cause of movement impairment syndrome, the contributing factors and a strategy for management. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Precision movement matters!
Having harrassed the author for close to four years I am pleased to say that this text represents what might best described an a "hinge in history". I agree that the concepts and examination items might be challenging for those used to a "cookbook" strategy but I am sure Shirley will agree that she did NOT invent anatomy or kinesiology! Systematic clinical examination, identifying movement deviations from mechanical precision and optimising efficient movement patterns are not large leaps of logic. Major car manufacturers and airlines have been doing this for years; analyse patterns of wear and tear on components and see what lasts the longest! However, humans in their comfortable/familiar patterns don't invest in the valid and rational practice of prevention and damage analysis. I know UK colleagues will take the path of least resistance when trying out the exam items within this book and say "Well it doesn't predict chronicity!" or "What about psychosocial factors?". To them and the pain biology fanatics I say this...when viruses, bacteria, trauma, genetics and family relationships have been analysed, what are the three primary drivers of nociception? Bogduk delineated the mechanical deformation model of nociception; Sahrmann has now thrown down the gauntlet with the movement paradigm to support or negate. Roll up your sleeves, break a sweat and join those of us liberated from surreal Southern Hemisphere skeleton pushing. Active rehabilitation with empiricism, determinism and a healthy cynicism! This text gives content and not just theory/process models - try telling a student that clinical reasoning is a valid model when they don't know what to look for!

Long awaited text for expert practice
Physical therapists like myself have been waiting for a text from the author for over 10 years. Definitely a text for someone well versed in the anatomy and mechaincs of the musculoskeletal system. This text is written in clear categories and deals with problems in three general areas. It takes effort and analytic thinking to understand the myriad of motions listed in the text. A CD with actual demonstrations would help immensely in seeing all the factors the author is illustrating. The introduction covers very complex ideas made as simple as possible by the author. I would recommend this text for any movement specialist but I would caveat my recommendation with the warning that hard work is needed to really grasp the techniques listed in this text. This author is saying things that need to be learned by movement specialists and only can be applied by an expert. ... Read more

Book Description

A revision of the successful book that incorporates the most up-to-date changes from the quick paced field of biological psychology. Completely re-written and re-conceived in every edition, this book marries the clinical aspects of the field with the roots of biological research. The author uses many human examples to help make the material interesting and relevant to readers. For Intro Psychology students, or anyone with an interest in physiological psychology, biological psychology, or neuroscience.

Reviews (3)

basic physio psych text
I am an undergraduate neuroscience major at Univeristy of Massachustts, Amherst, and I had the author of this book , Dr Neil Carlson, as my professor for both the undergrad and grad level of Physiological Psychology course. We used the slightly more advance book called "Physiology of Behavior," but they are both basically the same. I am now a TA for the course, so I know the book pretty well. It is written in exactly the same style as he lectures. This probably because the book was originally developed from notes he used to hand out, which you can tell when reading the book. He has little personal comments inserted in paragraphs; he writes in the first person; he has strange analogies; he sometimes jumps from subject to subject; but overall, the book is quite good. The best things about the book are the diagrams and the cd. They very clearly illustrate exactly what he's discussing, and make the subject at hand easier for students to understand. As for the breadth of the material covered, it seems to be quite wide. He starts off with the basics, like neuron structure and brain anatomy, but then quickly moves on from there to sleep mechanisms, eating behavior, learning and memory, etc. The concentration of the book is on the effects of hormones on the brain and our behaviors resulting from those effects. I would recommend taking some introductory biology courses before trying to tackle the book; my psych major friend who hasn't had a tougher time with the class. Overall though, the book is not that hard to understand. I've learned a lot from it and not been bored while doing it. It's one of the most popular textbooks for the physiology of behavior out there. My book is dogearred from so much use, and though I have used it for 3 semesters, I still feel like I can glean more information from it!

very valuable
We used this book originally for my physiological psychology course as an undergraduate. I made the mistake of selling the book at the end of the semester. When I began a career in medicine I repurchased the book because it explained pieces of physiology about the brain that were readable, and best of all, understandable. A must-have for physio. psych class but a great addition to regular physiology classes in order to get more detail.
This was my favorite text overall of all my undergraduate courses.

Tip
Buy the older edition for much cheaper! the 4th edition and the 5th are the EXACT same other than exact page numbers. the 4th edition didn't have the CD but the CD was worthless anyway-- well, it was nice to have but not at all necessary! ... Read more

Book Description

An invaluable, "hands-on" practical guide to understanding the base for and applications of ABR.Describes clearly measurement techniques, instrumentation, stimulus parameters, recording parameters and subject variables that can affect the responses.Discusses clinical applications of the auditory brainstem response in neurological evaluation.Includes many case studies to highlight the principles and techniques covered in the manual.Discusses applications of the ABR in newborn hearing screening and intraoperative monitoring.TEXTBOOK ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Primary guide for Otoacoustic Emissions
Otoacoustic emissions are covered in this text more thoroughly than in any other I've seen, from the different types of emissions, to measurement systems, to potential uses for the data collected (e.g. UNHS, ototoxicity monitoring etc.). I recommend this textbook without reservation for all audiologists.

JUST IN TIME
I ATTENDED OAE TWO WEEKS BEFORE IN LONDON AND I HEARD ABOUT THE BOOK THERE. I BORROWED THE BOOK FROM PROF. KEMP AND I LIKED IT VERY MUCH IN ACCORDANCE TO ITS CONTENTS AND EXPLANATIONS. THE BOOK GIVES THE INFORMATION ABOUT OAE PERFECTLY. I FOUND THE ANSWERS OF MY QUESTIONS IN MY MIND. THANK YOU PROF. HALL ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive book has become an internationally recognized standard reference on measurement of physiological and acoustical aspects of speech and voice. It is specifically written for those without a technical background and includes a wide assortment of observational and measurement techniques. It offers explanations of their theoretical and technical foundations, comparisons of instrumental techniques, and extensive graphics to inform the clinician's choice of appropriate measurement tools. Just as important, this book includes extensive summaries of test results, allowing a particular patient's performance to be assessed in a valid context.TEXTBOOK ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a towering text on adult echocardiography
this is a comprehensive text aimed at the cardiologist. all aspects of echo is covered. initial portion of book is devoted to man and machine. successive chapters cover various diseases like vulvular, ischaemic, cardiomyopathy etc in detail. easier to understand concise forms are found in harrison's textbook of medicine and in braunwald diseases of heart. the book has a large number of pictures and doppler tracings. hemodynamics are covered in length , although pisa is not. new edition is eagerly awaited.

Very Good book on all aspects of Echocardiography
If you are looking for a good overall book on all aspects of Echocardiography this is a good book at a fair price. This book, however, is geared toward the echocardiographic professional and would be very difficult for the layman to comprehend. ... Read more

Book Description

Students and clinicians discover the adventure of fluency disorder diagnosis and treatment in a text that emphasizes the excitement of the assessment-treatment process. Clinical Decision Making in Fluency Disorders details counseling as a central aspect of fluency disorders and looks at the facilitation of therapeutic chance. Dealing with client motivation and resistance and matching treatment strategies to client stages of change are other clinical qualities outlined. Emphasis is given to looking at the characteristics of effective clinicians, with a unique nod given to humor as an important variable in the communication disorder treatment process. Specific examples of the decision making process are presented in story form.TEXTBOOK ... Read more

Book Description

Along with a strong focus on patient care the new Hurst's THE HEART includes a new look and organization.Each chapter has been systematically overhauled with an emphasis on streamlining the content for a focused presentation of the LATEST THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES and the EVIDENCE-BASED DATA that support them. CLINICAL GUIDELINES are included to equip you with the critical information for optimal patient care in an increasingly time-pressured, cost/benefit environment.

WHAT'S NEW in the Tenth Edition

* Expanded coverage of molecular biology of blood vessels and myocardium

* More information on testing modalities--especially thoserelated to nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging, MRI and PET

* New emphasis on managing heart failure, including interventional techniques and new drug therapy strategies

* Additional chapters on the biology of coronary heart disease

* Expanded sections related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment

* More emphasis on integrating the science of cardiac care with treatment

* Easy-to-reference, evidence-based practice guidelines where appropriate

* New insight on the human genome project and its implications

* Techniques for clinical evaluation of the patient

* Late-breaking reports on clinicaltrials

* Heart disease in diabetics

* New sections on nonsurgical interventions in cardial and peripheral vascular disease ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A true gem of a book
This book is an exhaustive compilation of articles written by leading cardiologists and medical researchers who study the diseases andfunctioning of the heart. The sheer size of the book (over 2600 pages) makeit a challenge to read entirely, but the articles that can be read areworthwhile spending time on. The only minus to the book is that there areno articles on the mathematical or computational modeling of the heart. Butfor studies in anatomy and physiology of the heart, and treatment of heartdisease, this book is excellent. One would expect a higher price for thebook considering its size and the color plates it has enclosed, so even at$150.00 it is still really a bargain. ... Read more

Book Description

Edited and written by the foremost authorities in the field, thelatest edition of this comprehensive reference continues to providepractical approaches to common gastrointestinal problems. It is anencyclopedic reference to virtually all common gastrointestinaldiseases and indicates the current applications and future directionsof gastroenterology. Topics covered include the basic mechanisms ofnormal and abnormal gastrointestinal function and approaches topatients with gastrointestinal problems. New chapters cover Non-UlcerDyspepsia, Gastritis and Radiation Injury. ... Read more

Book Description

In this wondrously lucid and engaging book, renowned neurologist Antonio Damasio demonstrates what many of us have long suspected: emotions are not a luxury, they are essential to rational thinking.

Descartes' Error takes the reader on an enthralling journey of scientific discovery, starting with the case of Phineas Gage--a construction foreman who in 1848 survived a freak accident in which a 3 1/2 foot iron rod passed through his head--and continuing on to Damasio's experiences with modern-day neurological patients affected by brain damage. Far from interfering with rationality, his research shows us, the absence of emotion and feeling can break down rationality and make wise decision making almost impossible.

Reviews (33)

Fine work, but Ryle got there first.
Damasio brings some some fascinating cases to bear on one of the oldest problems in philosophy and psychology. It's a good read and an important subject. It would be a mistake, however, to think that "Descartes' error" was just now being pointed out. In fact, practically no contemporary philosopher worth his or her salt subscribes to the Cartesian two-substance theory of body and mind. In his 1949 masterpiece, The Concept of Mind, Gilbert Ryle argued that Descartes' view was fatally flawed (and he wasn't really the first to point this out, either), and called it the "ghost in the machine" view of the body/mind relationship. If you get right down to it, Descartes himself would agree with Damasio that the emotions are not radically different kinds of things from the reasoning faculties, since he believed that experiencing an emotion was simply another mode of thought, just as drawing an inference is a mode of thought. But Descartes must be used to being a whipping boy by now, 350 years after his death; and the historical perspective aside, Damasio's book is an excellent contribution to scholarship on the effects of emotion on rationality.

the body minded brain
Have you ever left the massage table with a clear head and lots of energy? Damasio thinks he knows why. His idea is that the mind cannot be conceived without some sort of embodiment (hence Descartes' Error). There is no Self which gives rise to a unified Mind; instead there are just so many synchronized systems of the body (the visceral, musculo-skeletal etc.) whose combined output results in a background "feeling". It is that feeling which represents the self ; self can therefore also be defined as a continuous experience of the body. During massage we relax the mind by relaxing the body .

According to Damasio, each movement (of the limbs or bowels) results in a specific "feeling" loaded into our subconsciousness. These feelings and associated emotions are at the very core of cognition. Indeed, this book is intended to prove to the lay public Damasio's belief that he has experimentally deconstructed the wittgensteinian/russelian illusion (which claims that formal logic will get us to the best available solution for any problem). On the contrary, D. found that certain patients whose emotional centers are disabled by stroke but whose logical abilities remain intact become functional invalides: they cannot decide and when they do, they tend to make wrong decisions (they cannot use their "gut feelings" and therefore end duped or easily misled). The integration of emotions and reasoning is orchestrated by the prefrontal cortex and a large part of the book is devoted to explaining the specific neural circuits dedicated to this task.

In my opinion, D. has not been able to prove Descartes was wrong. It is obvious that our minds depend on (internal and external) sensory input to generate "representations" which ultimately result in "decision-making"; however, Plato would say that an absence of a functional brain region does not necesarily disprove the existence of the Self - it merely prevents that Self from expressing itself.

The book has interesting and important things to say. I think, however, that it will be of limited use to an average reader. I often found it to be unnecessarily technical; moreover, unlike, say, Ramachandran's book, which is a veritable explosion of provoking ideas and speculations, Desartes' Error is basically about one single idea... as a result, the same thing is repeated over and over again and i had to clench my canines to maintain interest. It would definitely benefit from good editing.

VERY Disappointing for the Philosopher
"And indeed, if the interested layman picks up any of a half a dozen standard text books on the brain, as I did, and approaches them in an effort to get the answers to sorts of question that would immediately occur to any curious person, he is likely to be disappointed." -John Searle, "Minds, Brains, and Science" (1984)

This quote, more than any one I could think of, sums up my view on Dr. Antonio R. Damasio's "Descartes' Error." In preparation for a graduate seminar on the philosophy of mind (which kicked off by reading Descartes, by the way) I picked up this book so that I may glean a neurophysiologist's take on the mind-body problem. To say that this book was an amazingly unhelpful tool for this purpose would be the understatement of the century. While I don't agree (with another reviewer) that "a degree" is required to do philosophy (but one can help but admit that the vast majority of good philosophy is produced by those who hold at least two of them), at least some grasp of the philosophical topic is prudent prior to writing a book even remotely advertising itself as having something to do with it. This is where Damasio falls short, and not by a little.

Because so many reviewers have summarized this book's substantive content, for the sake of avoiding duplicity, I decided to scour other reviews for the more egregious claims about this book. First of all, one common theme is that this book is stimulating philosophically, and that it is a "must read" for philosophers interested in the mind (see the NY Times Book Review above). In case it isn't obvious at this point, I don't think anything could be further from the truth. If you are a philosopher, don't waste your time or money with this book unless you've literally read everything else and want nothing but the science. Nowhere does Damasio mention any of the interesting paradoxes intertwined in this fantastically fascinating area of philosophy, other than occasional name dropping, not including the 5+ pages he devotes to actually discussing Descartes' "Error" (247-52). The only problem here, though, is that Damasio, while not getting Descartes entirely wrong, entirely misses the substantive point of Descartes' "dualism" and the point of the dream argument. Damasio repeats the cogito a couple times, and then moves on to dismiss the scientific inaccurracies of Descartes' philosophy (i.e., "errors" entirely beside the point of the current debate about dualism and the existence of phenomenal properties).

Damasio severely, severely underestimates the weight of Descartes' dualism, as well as naively assumes that all forms of it died with the dawn of science. The point isn't that Descartes was so wrong to assume that the mind/soul/spirit could survive the body - or that brains can't really exist in a vat (Damasio explains how this is impossible given current science - I'm serious) - the point is the epistemic value of inconceivability and the role of direct acquaintance of conscious, thinking experience. All of this is completely and utterly missed by Damasio, which is likely due, I'm afraid, to a severe underestimation and underappreciation for the relevant philosophical texts and the people who wrote them. We all know "that mind comes from the brain," the problem is explaining the connection in an unproblematic, coherent way.

Another common misconception about this book is its "readability." Here is one paragraph (that's right, paragraph) as a sample: "The minimal neural device capable of producing subjectivity thus requires early sensory cortices (including the somatosensory), sensory and motor cortical association regions, and subcortical nuclei (especially thalamus and basal ganglia) with convergence properties capable of acting as third-party ensembles." Now, if this is your idea of "readable," then by all means, go for it. The book is absolutely chalk-full of neurophysiological terminology to the point of reading like a text book (see Searle's quote above). I consider myself a very active reader (in the sense that I virtually always have a dictionary nearby and virtually never skip over words I don't understand the meaning of), but this book was just crazy-loaded with technical jargon. The writing itself is above average to average.

Damasio's effort should be commended, which is why I give this book two stars, based entirely on the book's scientific value alone. The mischaracterization of Descartes, as well as Damasio's own philosophical shortcomings, are, in my own opinion, errors far more egregious than any Descartes ever made.

Some hints for enjoying this book more
Other reviewers have surely summarized and analyzed this fine book far better than I could, so here are some hints that may help you productively enjoy it:
1.) scan sections of the book before and after you read them. The author's simple expositions are terrific but the organization and data blending can be confusing, and the pace of such a book often slows uncomfortably. 2.) If you are new to this subject (and any non-professional who hasn't had a CNS course recently is probably a beginner) I'd supplement this book with a good but lighter introduction to brain research (I'd strongly recommend the NYT Book of the Brain). 3.) I'd advise using a good neuroanatomy text or atlas like Barr or Hanaway. The author's maps are surprisingly skimpy and I strongly hope he includes a few pages of neuroanatomical diagrams in any future editions. 4.) You may want to underline terms and definitions, and note the reference at the back of the book -- the book has no glossary and the index is annoyingly weak. 5.) I thought the most valuable sections were on the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, the Body-Minded Brain, and the Postscriptum -- consider scanning these sections first.
Good luck and enjoy. The author's credentials are superb, his perspective complements other authors such as Edelmann and LeDoux, and he brings the unique and empathetic perspective of a neurologist who has specialied in analyzing the changes associated wtih discrete neuropathological conditions. The ideas you may receive from this wonderful book should be well worth the effort, and you should gain some insight into the miracle of how we think/feel/are.

The Error of Cartesian People
To the "December 18, 2003" reviewer:

"To write a book about Philosophy or related issues one MUST HAVE a degree in Philosophy, in the same way if somebody decides to write about Neurology he/she needs to have the proper qulifications to do so."

That's the typical authoritarian speech of people who hide behind their jobs, their qualifications, their deegrees, etc. Not exactly the right quote, but it describes the context: "Holier Than Thou". Yes, recognition by the expert authorities is a key to being heard, but I ask: when were these high authorities the driving force within ANY thought revolution? Maybe because someone DOESN'T have a deegree on a particular subject, he can express views which aren't tainted by the "academia's" notion of what is correct and incorrect. Most of the radical developments in human thought came without the approval of the "status quo". Ironically, the "status quo" absorves the knowledge of such revolutions when they have been tamed down or when the revolutionaries themselves have become the "status quo".

You, the reviewer, might even be right about Damasio... but you used a VERY lousy argument... ... Read more

Book Description

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Reviews (12)

Love Is a Choice Workbook
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Book Description

Provides the reader with an interpretation of central auditory processing disorders that is both scientific and clinical.The information is presented in an easy to read and understand format.This book is ideal for practicing clinicians who are looking for a review of this complex subject.The text is clearly presented to aid the learning process, with learning objectives set out at the beginning of each chapter, and the inclusion of lots of tables, key notes boxes and highlighted sentences. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Resource
This is one of the best books in the field that I have seen. It is a comprehensive classification of tumors in mice. Figures are excellent. The international authors are the leading authorities. It is well worth the price! ... Read more