A History of the Brain

A History of the Brain tells the full story of neuroscience, from antiquity to the present day. It describes how we have come to understand the biological nature of the brain, beginning in prehistoric times, and progressing to the twentieth century with the development of Modern Neuroscience. This is the first time a history of the brain has been written in a narrative way, emphasizing how our understanding of the brain and nervous system has developed over time, with the development of the disciplines of anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, psychology and neurosurgery. The book covers: * beliefs about the brain in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome * the Medieval period, Renaissance and Enlightenment * the nineteenth century * the most important advances in the twentieth century and future directions in neuroscience. The discoveries leading to the development of modern neuroscience gave rise to one of the most exciting and fascinating stories in the whole of science.Written for readers with no prior knowledge of the brain or history, the book will delight students, and will also be of great interest to researchers and lecturers with an interest in understanding how we have arrived at our present knowledge of the brain.

Andrew P. Wickens is Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. His main area of expertise is in biological psychology and neuroscience.

'I have been looking for many years for a good introduction to the history of neuroscience and now I have found it! This book is both comprehensive and accessible, and it comes highly recommended.' - Jamie Ward, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK "A History of the Brain describes the fascinating narrative of how we have come to understand the workings of the brain and nervous system, and how notions of ourselves, and what it means to be human, have correspondingly changed over the millennia. Although there is no ending to this story, reading the ancient beginnings of it and the subsequent developments over the centuries helps to make sense of what we know of neuroscience today. I highly recommend this engaging book for the student of the history of psychology, history of science, and science itself." - David J Hardy, Loyola Marymount University, and University of California, Los Angeles, USA 'I enjoyed A History of the Brain immensely, Wickens has a deep knowledge of both the current state of neur