[.ca] Fundamental Neuroscience (ISBN 0126603030)

Truly Fundamental!:
I was rather lucky to take my chances and go-for-a-buy for this title instead of the much more cited "Kandel-Fourth Edition"... The book is really awesome, well-written and edited, with many good first-time-seen illustrations. It spans the whole field of contemporary Neuroscience (from biochemical to cognitive and clinical) with extreme efficacy and reference. The authors did a great job integrating the contents of each section with clarifying examples and extensive references, making it ideal even for new-comers. As a medical student with research interests in this vast field, I was very pleased with my decision to buy this textbook.

A must in any med-school:
This book can make any person understand the basic aspects of Pathology, it requires a good level of Histology knowledge ( not more than a good approach of the previous course ). Excellent images and explanations make this issue a good purchase. The only drawback I've found is the fancy words the authors use to define something it's easy to understand, but after all I think it's a vey good choice.

Too detailed:
This text is not appropiate for any for introductory class to neuroscience at any level (whether grad or undergrad). The depth and detail leaves the reader confused at best. Perhaps it is suitable for an advanced gradute seeking to remedy any detail oriented holes. For all others, it is a precursor to a headache. The smart money would go with the Kandel who clearly defines his purpose at the outset of his classic book. (I notice that the reviewer ,who bestowed the text 4 stars, and the author both call San Diego their home.)

Terrible:
Terrible textbook. The only goodness is that it mentions lots of details not helpful for understanding. The concepts are very messy and not clear at all. It could not be a bad reference book. For a textbook, forget about it!

Get Kandel instead:
This first edition is terrible, with plenty of typos. Material is not presented clearly at all. Maybe a future edition will show some improvement, but as of now, I'd recommend Kandel et al, 4th edition.