About the Book
Cajal's Neuronal Forest: Science and Art continues the tradition set forth by its sister volume Cajal's Butterflies of the Soul (OUP, 2009). This new collection contains hundreds of beautiful rarely-seen-before figures produced throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century by famed father-of-modern-neuroscience Santiago Ram�n y Cajal (1852-1934) and his contemporaries. Cajal was captivated by the beautiful shapes of the cells of the nervous system. He and his fellow scientists saw neurons as trees and glial cells as bushes. Given their high density and arrangement, neurons and glial resembled a thick forest, a seemingly impenetrable terrain of interacting cells mediating cognition and behavior. In unraveling the mysteries of the brain, these researchers encountered an almost infinite number of cellular forms with an extraordinary beauty, which they could not help but put pen to paper, allowing them to discover a new artistic world- the neuronal forest- that gave free rein not only to their imagination, but to a new way of viewing the brain as well. This book has been divided into two parts. The first focuses on the scientific atmosphere in Cajal's times, on the history of the neuron, and the anatomical challenge posed in studying neuronal connections. It also delves into the artistic skills of Cajal and other important pioneers in neuroscience and how the neuronal forests have served as an unlimited source of artistic inspiration. The second consists of 275 original drawings by Cajal. All were published over the course of his scientific career and cover virtually all of his research fields of interest, including the spinal cord, the optic lobe and retina, cerebral cortex, and many other regions of the brain.
Cajal's Neuronal Forest: Science and Art is a testament to the natural beauty found in science. Despite the common misconception that the drawings of Cajal and other scientists of the time are pieces of art, these drawings are in fact copies of histological preparations and contributed greatly to the discoveries made in the field of neuroscience. This book is a gem in any library, whether serving as a medical history or a gallery of stunning sketches.
About the Author :
Javier DeFelipe is a Research Professor at the Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. His main area of expertise lies in the microanatomy of the cerebral cortex. The frequent citation of his work in the scientific literature reflects the variety and excellence of his numerous contributions. Prof. DeFelipe is also fascinated by the link between the study of the brain and art and has been involved in organizing and curating numerous exhibitions around the world. He has written several articles, chapters and books on both this subject and the influence of Santiago Ram�n y Cajal in modern neuroscience.
Review :
"In Cajal�s Neuronal Forest, Javier DeFelipe describes the remarkable revolution in concepts of how the brain works that took place more than 100 years ago during the birth of modern Neuroscience, spearheaded by Santiago Ramon y Cajal. It illustrates how the neuron with dendrites, spines, axon and synapses become the building block of the nervous system, a view initially met with fierce resistance. This history is beautifully presented by DeFelipe, and enhanced by Cajal's own artistic drawings from different parts of the brain, hundreds of which are reproduced in this volume. Cajal�s ambition to understand the mode of operation of the brain is clear from his work, which not only describes different cells with great precision but also interprets and integrates available knowledge. All neuroscientists can find illustrations of their preferred part of the brain in this book."--Sten Grillner, MD, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
"DeFelipe's new book provides a wonderful review of Cajal's work, including the techniques he used to follow cells through multiple sections in order to draw the entire neuron, including the free endings of neurites, and to discover the sharp "spines" on the dendrites of Pyramidal and Purkinje cells. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the juxtaposition of Cajal's representations with those of his contemporaries, as well as with micrographs of Cajal's slides. In a treasure trove of Cajal's drawings, the author traces the discovery of the types and connectivity of neurons, the deduction that bulbous spine endings provide the elements for the transmission of nerve impulses and schema of direction of current flow in different brain regions. Cajal's Neuronal Forest is a remarkable resource for anyone interested in Cajal's scientific genius, his artistry and the origins of the Neuron Theory."--Mary E. Hatten, PhD, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
"Javier DeFelipe has assembled a special volume dedicated to Cajal's lifetime contributions to the field of Neuroscience. This collection of Cajal's full-size, hand-made drawings provides higher resolution images than those found in his Textura or Histologie volumes. The "Gallery" consists of 275 original drawings selected from an assortment of brain regions with comparative perspectives of specimens obtained from insects, cephalopods, rodents, and humans. These artistic drawings were used to base several brain principles, including the synapse, dynamic polarization and neuron doctrine, as explained in Part 1 of this volume. The conclusions Cajal deduced from his Golgi preparations provided the basis for our understanding of the connectivity of the nervous system."--Charles E. Ribak, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA
"Everyone interested in how the brain works should own and display a copy of this spectacular book."--Larry W. Swanson, PhD, Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology, and Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
