Limbic System Mechanisms and Autonomic Function

Other books covering this material are already in print: the four volumes in the Methods in Enzymology series covering nucleic acids spring immediately to mind. The editors justify the production of this book on the grounds that (i) it is inexpensive and, (ii) that the topics dealt with are covered in unusual detail. First, the claim that this volume is inexpensive is misleading. Compared to Methods in Enzymology its price per page is high. Its "low price," therefore, reflects only its small size. Second, the detail in the treatment of each topic is adequate, but is no more than usual for a methods text, in my opinion. (In this connection, it is worth noting that 3 of the 12 authors involved have written similar chapters for Methods in Enzymology.) In summary, had I access to Methods in Enzymology, I would not buy this book. However, were I a novice in the field needing a bench top guide or were I lacking Methods in Enzymology, this volume could be of considerable help. This book is the result of a three-day Brain Research Symposium held at the University of Toronto. Like most volumes based on symposia, this one contains more information of a summary nature than new data, although some of the chapters such as the one by Hoffer, Mitra, and Snider on blood pressure responses to cerebel-lar stimulation are notable exceptions. The list of participants at this meeting reads like a "Who's Who" of limbic system neurobiologists: and many others. I found that the report by Nauta and the closing comments by Yakovlev were especially worthwhile. In a survey of the neuroanatomic circuitry of the central visceromotor system Nauta emphasizes the crucial role of the hypo-thalamus in reciprocally linking the limbic forebrain with the paramedian region of the midbrain. Yakovlev ostensibly sets out to propose an anatomic definition of the limbic system but, in fact, his paper turns out to be a concise treatise on comparative neuroanatomy and behavior! It is rough going but well worth it. As a summary of research within the last 15 years or so on the limbic system this book should be useful to both basic scientists and clinicians. Unfortunately, its price is so high that only the most affluent graduate or medical student could afford to purchase it, and this is a pity because this group would probably derive the most benefit from it. Wassermann's …