Organizations Books

I throughly enjoyed this book. As a Catholic girl I have considered becoming a nun at various stages of my life. Reading this book helped me to get a better perspective of what nunhood might be like. Mother Mary Francis discusses the ups and downs, and the beauties and the horrors of being a nun. I reccomend this for any one who wants to understand the beauty of religious life.

This book was actually published first in 1961; I discovered it in the early 70's and have enjoyed it time and again since then. For anyone who wants to know what life was like in every Poor Clare monastery before Vatican II and the decimation of the religious life, this is undoubtedly the book to read. The lifestyle still persists in a few monasteries and you might want to visit their websites. If you enjoy this book, Sr. Mary Francis has written others as well (though none is quite as good as this one!).

I loved this book so much, that I marked passages of it to share with other women I know who are discerning religious life. Mother Mary Francis tells us about a group of Poor Clare nuns beginning a new foundation in New Mexico. But that is just the superficial framework of the book. What she really gives us is a superb view of the theology of life as a Poor Clare nun.

In her writings on Saints Francis and Clare, her pen paints pictures that make these wonderful saints come alive for us. Mother Mary Francis shares with us their teachings to their nuns, and what impact those teachings have on their lives. So many consider the cloisered religious life to be a dark, solitary, very solemn life, but that is far from the truth. A monastery is a place of love, and light, and laughter, and no one tells us that so well as Mother Mary Francis.

I highly recommend this book to any and all, but especially to those discerning religious life and to those with a devotion to St. Clare. This book may be old, but it is far from outdated.

What a fabulous book this is! The author is a paragon of wisdom and a gifted writer to boot. Her joyful love for God, for Saint Clare, for the life she has chosen (or been chosen for), and really, for all of frail humanity, practically bound off the page. I didn't expect to laugh out loud while reading a book of this nature, but I certainly did! Mother Mary Francis has such a wonderfully whimsical way of looking at the most ordinary things and events; the reader is enfolded in her charm and warmth. At other times I found myself reading through a film of tears; the whole book is a subtle torch that melts the heart.

Though this book is about life in an enclosed order of nuns, it's not just for Catholics. I'm not a Catholic myself, but I feel like I gained about as much from it as anyone could, and I don't feel any separation or strangeness between myself and the sisters. I strongly recommend this book to seekers of God from whatever path or religion, because don't we all share the same human nature and face the same struggles? And this author kindly shares one way of gracefully navigating the difficult waters. Since the Poor Clares have been following the same path for over 750 years now, without dying out or changing their ways, we know that it is one road, no matter how unusual, that does work, and we can all take something from it.

Finally, I appreciated the prefaces that Mother Mary Francis added to this 2001 edition of her book. Since the book was written in the 1950's, don't you want to know what has happened in the Roswell monastery since then? I did! So the additonal material from the years 1973 and 2000 was most welcome. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone, but I'm happy to report that the monastery is thriving. Lucky them: Mother Mary Francis is apparently still the Abbess, God bless her beautiful, wise heart.

Note: Feb. 2006 addition to this review from February 2005: I have just learned that Mother Mary Francis passed away this month. May she rest in eternal peace.

Mother Mary Francis wrote a wonderful little book about her life as a Poor Clare nun. Her life in the convent was a happy one. She and her sisters laughed, danced and sang. This is a lovely peep into the cloistered life given to us by an eminently sensible and jolly woman.

Comments on Romero's Legacy

This is a morally challenging and intellectually stimulating collection of essays which could be equally at home in a course dealing with international development as in pastoral discussions focused on community organizing. The keystone concept is the book's basic understanding of what "poverty" means - for a committed Christian, but really for all human beings who must share the planet.

Although all the essays stand out and stand on their own, I was drawn in particular to Gustavo Gutierrez' essay entitled "Liberation Theology for the Twenty-first Century." Several ideas immediately hit home: "...the preferential option for the poor forms 90 percent of liberation theology..."; "...poverty is not destiny...[it is] not misfortune ...it is an injustice"; "injustice...is the refusal to love in other words, sin"; and, finally, "the option for the poor ... for a Christian... is a conversion."

These ideas link up with other, equally resonant and provocative notions throughout the seven essays, which, taken collectively, argue for human solidarity and change at the material and spiritual levels among all peoples, but especially among Christians. The call to peace and justice which emerges from this book is not easy to ignore, nor to follow; but after reading these articles, I felt strangely like I did in the 1960s and 70s, when change seemed possible, and possibly imminent - and commitment was not a luxury, but a necessity.

Having been an acitvist in the 60's and 70's and then settling into the coma of "it's time for the next generation", I found Romero's Legacy inspirational. This book has renewed my commitment to work for social justice. Thank you.

When the biblical prophets decried unfaithfulness among the people of Yahweh, they usually cited two indicators: engaging with other gods, and failure to engage with the poor, orphans, widows and the oppressed.

In the late 1970's Archbishop Oscar Romero accepted his call to prophecy and began to complain bitterly about the oppression of the poor in El Salvador. In 1980 he was shot to death while leading a religious service.

His short life as a prophet and his death have inspired many who serve the poor, including many members of St. Joseph's Cathedral in Camden, New Jersey, home to some of the poorest people of the United States.

Among many other efforts to engage the poor, St. Joseph's began the Romero lectures in 2001, effectively reviving Romero's spirit with annual meditations on the complicated relationships of good, evil, fear, justice, compassion, revenge and the meaning of being Christian - all in relationship to the poor and oppressed.

These seven lectures, delivered yearly from 2001-2007 chronicle the oppression of the poor in today's dynamics: economic and social injustice, incarceration, (including the death penalty) racism and demonization of immigrants; and offer a religious and theological response to engaging the poor: a preference for the poor (liberation theology) and a reminder for those who would be Christian that their faith makes the poor a part of their family. As John Hogan notes, "in the New (Eucharistic) Covenant), we become blood relatives...of one another." (p. 27)

These edifying lectures can inspire the private reader, but their thrust is clearly towards our responsibility as a people to turn our collective, our structural hearts towards the poor. With Romero's spirit, the prophets of Camden are showing us the way.

Romero's Legacy is short, clear, and challenging. It forced me to rethink some big issues: war, race, urban poverty, capital punishment, and immigration. Gutierrez, Prejean, and Groody are spellbinding. A great resource for high school, college, and adult ed classes.

Romero's Legacy is an indispensable introduction to the topic of social justice and the Christian call to follow Christ's example for the sake of the poor and disenfranchised. Through the lens of seven different writers, each committed to living faith through work on behalf of those who the secular world values least, the book makes a convincing case that faith, without works, is dead. Concise and accessible, Romero's Legacy is lends itself easily to structured study. The text is appropriate not only for high school or college curricula, but also as a learning tool for small-group study.

I just got this book and I am so glad! It has made my virtualization task so much easier. It brought me up to speed on virtualization and I really like the hands-on nature of the book. I have Xen up and running with my guest disk image and all seems well so far!

Running Xen Review

Running Xen takes a unique approach to introducing Xen to both the novice and expert virtualization user. The authors start off introducing just enough of the core concepts to give the reader an adequate basis on which the book later builds on to provide the required skills to effectively run a virtual environment. A brief explanation of Xen architecture follows with an overview of the management tools with real world examples showing actual output. I found this attention to often overlooked detail refreshing such as the use of ssh with keys and X Forwarding to securely communicate with guests impressive, instead of simply using an easier less secure method for example. The reader could choose to skip ahead if the topic was already understood but providing that level of detail is integral to the learning process in my opinion. Simply getting a Xen server up and running accomplishes nothing for the user needing to actually run and administer it after, which is where most technical books fail.

The walk through with guest disk images and creating them correctly was well appreciated instead of leaving that to the reader to hopefully figure out. All popular methods for populating guests were covered which allowed distro specific tools to be utilized instead of requiring non native methods or leaving the reader unprepared. Device virtualization was covered, but I assume as Xen is constantly evolving the information at print time regarding hiding a PCI device from Dom0 was still accurate but is now slightly different. Fortunately, all the pointers to additional reading would lead the user to finding the current procedure. Networking was covered in detail which is an often misunderstood part of Xen and a working example of a purely virtual segment using a dummy interface was shown which I found fairly useful. Guest resource management provided an understanding for topics such as the IO Scheduler and gave examples on how to tune it.

This was my second book on Xen and completely replaces the first as a much more competent reference. I highly recommend this book for anyone using Xen for its concrete basis and good reference it provides.

I'm new to virtualization, but very technical. "Running Xen" was just right for me. Great background information and rationalization mixed with solid detail. Solid in-depth intro for anyone seeking to understand virtualization in general, and Xen in particular.

The review copy I had was only 583 pages, not the 624 that the specs say this has. I bring that up because I wonder if last minute updates were added, and I mention that because that was my first thought when reading this: it's out of date.

I don't mean horribly, and I certainly don't mean so much as to make this useless. But this is a common problem in the fast moving field of open source: things can change radically in the time it takes to get a book out the door.

For example, the first thing I learned here was about a Xen LiveCD. Chapter 2 is devoted to playing with that, and it's a great idea: a non-threatening, very quick intro to Xen. Unfortunately, that's way
out of date: the LiveCD can still be found, but it's not where the book says it is because it is several versions old now.

However, I'm sure that much of this book will remain useful for some time. This isn't just technical details (though there is a lot of that); it's also advice on configuration and deployment.

As is common nowadays, the book includes a coupon to get 45 days free access to the on-line Safari version (interestingly, that doesn't have 624 pages either).

If you ever worked with Xen - Open Source Virtualization Software for Linux you probably realized that despite being powerful and performing well Xen is a complex solution that requires "reading the manual".

I think that "Running Xen" book ("A Hands-On Guide to the Art of Virtualization") will be a great help. It is written by the team of people who not only know Zen inside out, but who are also major contributors to the source.

The book is a hands-on guide for most popular distributions, but what I specially like is that it gives a very good theoretical background on virtualization (architecture, benefits, over of xen hypervisor etc). The hands-on section covers hardware requirements and software requirements, including specifics for the popular distributions (OpenSUSE, Centos (RHEL) and Ubuntu as well as notes on other Domain0 distributions.

Significant attention is given to managing of the custom installed or pre-built Guest images, management of unprivileged (guest) domains, storage, device virtualization, security, network configuration, management of guest resources, saving/restoration and live migrations.

What gives confidence while reading on these hands-on tasks is the authors' familiarity with the subject. They are people who know Xen inside out and many tips and notes you encounter will save you hours of browsing of mailing lists or trials and errors.

Provides a concise and creative discussion of the economic and political dimension of global financial reform. --David Hale, Global Chief Economist, Zurich Group

Examines G8 policy dynamics over the last 30 years with rare vigour and insight. Both a sensible blueprint for a new international financial system, and the definitive handbook for a new kind of governance within the G8 architecture. --Dr Yoichi Funabashi, Deputy Editor for Economic Affairs, Asahi Shimbun

A welcome addition to the literature on this important global network. Significant and accessible contributions to the study of the G7/G8. --Millennium: Journal of International Studies

This is a first-rate piece of work that contributes significantly to our understanding of the current state and future prospects for stability and order in the international financial system. --Michael Hawes, Queen's University

Although the authors are senior established figures assessing the world establishment, they nonetheless reach some lively and controversial conclusions. It is a well-written and carefully considered overview of the problems of patching up the international monetary structure, as seen primarily from the viewpoint of the G7, at the very end of the last century. --Charles Goodhart, London School of Economics and Political Science

While working through my thesis I was required, and also elected, to purchase several books. Johnson's book is by far the easiest to read and puts this sometimes daunting process into a manageable perspective. It's not enough all by itself, but it is a must have addition.

This book is required for a graduate class in special education research. It is a practical and simply-written guide to producing decent research in the field of education. While action research is not as "rigorous" as traditional, scientific research, there are benefits for trying a strategy and measuring results. Whatever we can do to measure what we're doing, and report/share it, is good!

This book will tell you exactly how to conduct an action research project in your school or classroom. It takes you through ever step of the process and describes how reports and papers should be presented. It presents a variety of ideas for data and data collection, and describes how to analyze qualitative data. the most important chapter for me was the chapter that described how to use action research for a thesis or disertation. The author describes what would go into each chapter.

Teachers, administrators, human service personnel are often encouraged to be engaged in action research. However, obtaining a sound, thorough but readable text to assist such professionals in conducting action research has been very difficult. This book fills this void wonderfully. The book lays out the steps of action research, provides practical examples all in a way that is scholastically sound but engaging and interesting reading. No mean feat for any book on research! I would highly recommend this for working practitioners and for guides for students involved in masters and even doctoral projects associated with action research. An excellent resource!!

I bought this book to have a glimpse at what was awaiting me in my upcoming Action Research class for my masters program. I found the samples much better in comparison to the custom book that my program offered for this class. It gives a step by step directions, I know I will have to use it for further classes in my upcoming Doctorate degree. This book is a good place to start if you have no idea of where and how to start your project for research.

This book is at once fascinating and heartbreaking. As a non-Catholic, I was amazed at the accomplishments of Sisters in the US. I used to see them when I was a child, knew they existed but they were mysterious and hidden to me. Reading this book, I feel we have lost something so precious and powerful. As Christianity declines, it is not so much the religion itself I miss, but some - like these - of it's powerful institutions to help others.

By the time I entered a Catholic elementary school in 1980, only one elderly sister was rumored to be residing in the church's convent. Two years later, the building was used for storage and our music room. Today, daily obituaries show how accomplished many of these women were - receiving an education that would have been unheard of for most women in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. It was not until I read this book that I really understood just how important these brave women -- and in many cases, young girls -- were in the development of this country, the nursing of its sick, and the education of its youth. This book skillfully explained the complex reasons for the sudden demise and division in the sisterhood today. Even the non-Catholic will be moved to feel concern for aging nuns and gratitude for their efforts. This book also offered a glimmer of hope as it investigated the growth of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book as much as I enjoyed learning what it had to tell me.

Boy, if this isn't an eye-opener! Not a particularly scholarly treatise (thank God), the book nonetheless chronicles well the incredible story of the impact on our American history and way of life "the Sisters" have had. Living in the "heyday" of the 50's - early 60's, and having had the blessings of a parochial education, I was not only mesmerized by Fialka's exploration of the scope and breadth and depth of the impact nuns in America have had, but deeply saddened to get a fuller sense of the decline of this influence in our society. I'm no feminist, but if any women in our history deserve greater recognition and honor for what they contributed to our lives it's these women. Fialka's narrative bounces around a little, but he keeps you focused on the mostly selfless dedication many of these Sisters lived by. The stereotypical nun whacking your knuckles with a ruler obscures the realities Fialka chronicles in case after case of the love and devotion so many of these Sisters lavished on their students (or patients). His discussion of the causes of the decline of the Sisters as a force in our society cites numerous influences, not least of which were the upheavals in all corners of our social fabric in the mid-late-sixties, nor the disruption (my word) of the "Catholic eco-system" resulting from so much misguided interpretations of Vatican II doctrine. Good book. Read it, revel in your memories, and weep for its demise -- America's great loss.

The old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is certainly appropriate with this one. I assumed that it would chronicle the history of all the major orders of nuns but it doesn't. This is a great book sharing with the readers the history of the Religious Sisters of Mercy from its founding to the present. To be honest, the author does include a few anecdotes concerning sisters from other religious orders that make this book even a better read. Being a Traditionalist in the Catholic Church, I didn't spend too much time on the chapters concerning the Vatican II and post Vatican II periods except the parts dealing with the Orders self-demolition. The RSMs liberation from the yoke of the Roman Church cost them dearly and it was the very elderly nuns who paid the price! It probably won't be too many more years until they die out. That is too bad for the wonderful group of nuns that I remember from St. Peters School in Omaha, NE.

"Sisters" is a comprehensive look at how Catholic sistes contributed to the development and growth of the United States of America. From hospitals, to schools to homes of refuge for prostitutes, one can see that Catholic sisters are a fearless cadre of determined women who work long hours, sacrifice much and give without counting the cost. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning about the Sisters of Mercy in particular, and what it means to be a religious in general. Even the famous Mayo Clinic had its beginning with a Catholic nun, Sr. Roberta, who encouraged Dr. Mayo to create a world-class clinic in the middle of nowhere. He was skeptical, but she was sure she had a mandate from God. Thank you Sr. Roberta for encouraging the Mayo family in this regard.

I felt thankful to all of the sisters who had worked diligently in the Catholic schools I attended as a child and I am glad that Mr. Fialka wrote this book to give nuns recognition which they neither desire or expect, but certainly deserve.

It should be a part of our American history curriculum.

Dr. Gimbell's book is a must read for not only principals, but for educators at every level of academia. What I gleaned from it that should be highlighted is the aspect of an educator's interpersonal skills. Today many school boards hire administrators with the major goal of improving test scores, with little concern about the myriad of issues that face educators in these challenging times. By only looking at this aspect, committees inadvertently hire educators who lack good interpersonal skills, otherwise known as exceptional emotional intelligence;the cornerstone of running a smooth operation. Good interpersonal skills and a common commitment to children's learning are the key to building the trust necessary to create a caring an learning environment,and one geared to acheiving excellence.
Dr. Gimbel's book will assist educators in this pursuit of excellence.

I enjoyed reading Solutions For Promoting Principal-teacher Trust.

I found it so engaging, as I read how you described your personality. Since I know your engaging effervessance, I can imagine how devasted you must have felt to be "shut out" in the teachers lounge.

I am so happy that other principals and administrators will have the opportunity to benefit from your years on both sides of the fence. I am hopeful that you will finally be able to evoke some real school reform.
I am so proud of you, BRAVO!!!
Love,
Harr

Thanks, Phyllis. I'm really enjoying your book!

Marcia Bromfield, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Field Placement and Professional Partnerships
School of Education
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA 02138

I found the excerpts of your book on the website, down to earth,using common sense when working with a staff,to foster communication, shared respect and learning "the ART of listening"...you expressed the painful but necessary lesson for growth, about moving from teacher to principal and how this seperated you from your staff ...You convey that it can be lonely during the transition,as you learned that you cannot be a good manager and a best friend too....You share the message, to be a great manager and principal, you must learn to step back, see the whole picture,be a good listener ,think about the ideas being shared, take the good parts ,fix the bad parts and blow the rest to the winds...You share,to be a success, you do what you must as a principal,to open communications,while fostering mutual respect with your staff, so as a team ,you can meet the challenges of educating our children.. "

The presence of a climate of trust in a school determines the success and efficacy of that school. Dr. Gimbel's book clearly and succinctly describes ways to establish and build trusting relationships between principal and faculty. There exists only a small amount of literature on this important topic. This concept holds the key to real school improvement, affecting teacher satisfaction, retention, creativity, and enthusiasm. I recommend this book wholeheartedly!

This is a book by an experienced principal and professor--- written for principals. Upbeat and positive, with practical ideas to use everyday. Want to know how to connect with your staff? Want ideas on dealing with tough issues? Have you forgotten why you wanted this job in the first place? This book is for you. Not a canned step-by-step program, but a handbook with easy to use sections. The advice in Straight Talk for Principals is caring and compassionate, full of common sense and yet inspiring. Anyone even thinking of being a principal should read this book. Fun to read, perfect on your resource shelf, this is a great book!

Dr. Lemley was my first administrative mentor. I worked with him in Madison, CT many years ago. The high school he very effectively lead, became an outstanding school managed by a team of exceptional educators inspired by Dr. Lemley. He has provided me with valuable insights, motivation, feedback, and support for almost thirty years. This book is a fascinating collection of the way Ray ran his school every day: with energy, honesty, and courage. Whether he was at a football game cheering, quietly observing a classroom, walking the halls with a big smile, or holding court with ten or fifteen students sitting in a hallway, he lived and breathed what he believes and what he speaks to in this book. At the time, I did not know I would go on to become a school principal. When I did, I wish I had had his book as a day-to-day reminder. The book very cohesively summarizes the key aspects of being an effective leader and maintaining a true community of learners. The best part for me is that reading the book is like sitting at dinner with Ray. The words are his and the message is the honest and true way he runs his schools and his life: with a joy and enthusiasm that is contageous. Today's schools are very different than the schools of thirty years ago, but Ray's words hold true. I urge every aspiring and current administrator to listen to the message and follow these simple yet profound principles. Your school community will thrive!!

"Straight Talk For Principals" is a quick read, chock full of practical advice from an accomplished school principal and nationally recognized leader in the field. Raymond Lemley's insight and passion jump off the pages as he talks about such issues as how to build and implement a school's vision, how to be an instructional leader, how to find and support new teachers, and how to develop and maintain a healthy organization. The checklists found in the appendices make excellent self-evaluation tools.

As a former principal and superintendent of schools, I can honestly say that this book is a must read for not only practicing principals and other educational leaders, but for apsiring school principals as well.

David H. Larson, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents
West Hartford, Connecticut

Upon reading this book, I remembered why I choose to become a principal! It reminds you what is important -- and that is the kids! I find myself picking up the book again and again to get "re-fueled" for the principalship. It is an easy and enjoyable read -- I found myself chuckling through out the book. It is straight talk "from the heart" on how to lead a school. Dr. Lemley gives it to you "straight" on what is important and what is not. It sharpens your focus and gives you direction, hope, and most of all -- inspiration!

Upon reading this book, I shared it with all of the middle school principals in my district. They, too, have found the book to be uplifting, inspiration and extremely helpful. This book is now required reading for my Assistant Principals and teachers in leadership roles.

If you are going to read anything about the principalship -- this is the FIRST book you should read!!!

I have been an educator for 35 years and am about to retire. Twenty-five of those years have been spent as an administrator in high schools. Being a principal is all I've known for most of my adult life and I've enjoyed every day. Only recently have I begun to reflect upon what made the job so enjoyable and then I read Dr. Lemley's book. There it was spelled out clearly, succinctly, and entertainingly. In a nutshell, the principal sets the tone of the school and is the prime mover in creating the culture. It is he or she who must live and breathe each day the beliefs that are the tenets of that culture. The principal is important. The principal does make a difference. People do care what the principal thinks about teaching, learning, students, teachers, and parent involvement. The principal can create the school of his/her dreams even while taking care of the day-to-day business of paperwork, purchase orders, discipline, meetings, budget and the crisis of the day.

Reading the book made me happy. I recommend it to anyone who is now a principal or is thinking of becoming one. Yes, the job has changed dramatically over the years. In my opinion it is much more difficult than it was when I started. The differences are all external, however. Being a dynamic principal is still very possible and just as much needed as ever before. Read the book to feel good about what you do. Read the book to help you decide to be a principal. Read the book to help you understand why American high schools are such wondrous institutions, creating magic often under dire circumstances. Read the book. You owe it to yourself.

Aimed at licensed therapists, this book makes you feel like you have your own business coach sitting alongside you. It is a well-written guide for the licensed therapist who is looking to improve his/her practice or change it altogether within a related field. - Cris Walker Roskelley, MFT, Author of the MFT Handbook titled "On the Road To Becoming a Successful Marriage and Family Therapist: An Insider's Guide From Graduate School Through Licensure... and Beyond!" On the Road To Becoming A Successful Marriage and Family Therapist

If you are a therapist needing help to develop a therapy practice, this is the book for you. It's tough building a practice these days. Things are way more competitive than they have ever been. Larina Kase's book is a good step-by-step analysis of what works. I recommend it highly and am going to use it with those therapists that I coach around practice development.

This is a comprehensive guide to starting a private practice that does an exceptional job combining the broader concepts of successful practice building with ample details and user-friendly examples. I found it simple to implement Dr. Kase's recommendations and quickly saw positive results in my own practice.

I am part of a consultation group of early career psychologists and we regularly discuss issues related to starting and building a practice, marketing, developing a niche area, and issues related to the business of owning one's practice. This has book has been referenced numerous times by our group and has been so helpful and informative to us, particularly b/c these issues have not been taught in graduate school or in our training. I would not forge ahead in the field of psychology and in your career as a psychologist without looking at this book first.

I have a private practice as well as a coaching business. I found this book full of excellent information and resources. I am now pursuing other business options as a result of reading this book. I have also purchased a number of Dr. Kase's ebooks, and have found them extremely helpful. She consistently gives you more than you pay for.

This book provides a great understanding of the basic elements of brain and their interactions. It takes a radical approach of synaptic organization as the basis of brain functions. It is a must for everyone interested in neuro/brain/mind science.

This is a very good neurophysiology book from the morphological and physiological viewpoints. It's inexpensive and well written. Thanks Gordon.

my brain study group used this book for textbook. my major is traditional chinese medicine treatment of neurology disease, so i need some neuroscience part. this book is not easy reading, but this book gaved me many information for neuroscience.

I became acquainted with this book when I read the first edition, way back in the late 70s when I was a neuroscience grad student. I remember how impressed I was that here, for the first time really, different areas of the brain could be analyzed and compared by how the neurons wired up with each other. Later in life as a young neurologist I read through the 3rd edition, and now as a more seasoned one I've just finished reading the fifth. The book has maintained its basic organizational structure while greatly expanding its content, sometimes to the detriment of clarity being lost in the details, which is why I took off a star. The first two chapters are very helpful, with one of the best discussions of different ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors in the context of neural cell physiology I've seen. In subsequent chapters the basic circuitry of the spinal cord, cochlear nucleus, olfactory bulb, retina, cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia, olfactory cortex, hippocampus and cerebral cortex are discussed in similar fashion. First the neuronal elements--cell types--are defined, then the basic anatomy of the area, then the synaptic connections between different types of neurons, then the anatomy of the circuitry, then the physiology of the synaptic actions. Finally an attempt is made to relate all of these basics to how the brain area functions for the organism.
As others have pointed out, the book requires concentration to read, even to somebody with my long background. But it is rewarding to see how far the field has come in the nearly 30 years I've been studying it. It's only marginally clinically relevant for a neurologist, but for basic neuroscientists I'd consider it a must read.

This is an excellent book: clear, well-organized, and well-written. It examines how groups of neurons give rise to brain functions. The introductory chapter lays the groundwork, going over basic theories of how groups of cells perform computations and what mechanisms they use to do it. Subsequent chapters stand alone, each with a focus on a particular brain region (hippocampus, basal ganglia, cortex, thalamus, retina, etc.).

I agree with an earlier reviewer: this book is not for the uninitiated, although it is spectacularly helpful for theoretical neuroscientists who are modeling cell assemblies as well as experimentalists working at the cell or systems level. However, I disagree with his list of good introductory books. "Principles of Neural Science" in particular is a good reference but not terribly readable. I would recommend Nicholls' "From Neuron to Brain" as a more accessible book about brain function. The Scientific American series, including "The Scientific American Book of the Brain," is quite good factually and provides a more general overview including some psychology, but the quality of the writing varies. Finally, for kicks, a newcomer should try the enjoyable, controversial "How the Mind Works" by Stephen Pinker. He is biased and arrogant, but also clever and entertaining.