I am starting a series on a book that I am reading, “Principles of Neural Science” by Eric Kandel, which surveys the field of neuroscience, covering topics ranging from basic neuron structure and function to cognition, perception, behavior and learning.
My goal is to read 3-4 chapters a week – the book has 67 chapters so this means that I will be done in around 22 weeks. On this blog, I will be posting an entry for each chapter, beginning with a brief summary before talking about an interesting idea or figure.
To me, the understanding of the brain is the last frontier in medicine. All other organ systems in the human body are well described, that is, we know what they are made of and how they work. But the how the brain functions remains a wonderful mystery. What is a memory? How is it created? Your thoughts, where do they come from? Feelings, such as love, are they more than a chemical reaction? My hope is that in reading through this book I will begin a journey that will lead me to an understanding of what I am as a human being.
