# Recommendations: Books on neurology. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 30, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-books-on-neurology/515702 "2009-10-30T05:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-books-on-neurology/515702/1 "2009-10-30T05:51:54Z")
So, in prep for National Novel Writing Month, I’m looking for a basic book on neurology. I need to do some serious research into the chemical working of how human beings learn / retain knowledge, and other than scholarly texts (from my time working in a hospital library), I’m not sure where to start. I need something useful to the layman. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-books-on-neurology/515702/2 "2009-10-30T13:38:12Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/Treating-Brain-What-Best-Doctors/dp/1932594469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253551458&sr=1-1) one looks good. The publish date says Nov. 15, but it actually was released five days ago. Not too pricey. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-books-on-neurology/515702/3 "2009-10-30T13:59:25Z")
I’d recommend ‘How the Mind Works’, by Stephen Pinker though it’s more cognitive than it is the physical neurology. Also, it’s hard to go wrong with: [The Human Brain Coloring Book](http://www.buy.com/prod/the-human-brain-coloring-book/q/loc/106/30006931.html) for learning the physical structures. **Sigmagirl** That book seems interesting. I’ve been seeking out what the OP is looking for, for some time now and it’s hard to find something concise, as it says in that book description. I have [this book](http://www.amazon.com/Working-Brain-Introduction-Neuropsychology/dp/046509208X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256911286&sr=1-1) and it’s decent but I feel like it’s almost worse to read something 30 years old on this topic as so much advancement has occurred in that time frame. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-books-on-neurology/515702/4 "2009-10-30T17:40:32Z")
[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=514540)is a thread where I comment on a couple of neurology-books-written-for-lay-folk… [This book](http://www.amazon.com/Phantoms-Brain-Probing-Mysteries-Human/dp/0688172172/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256924521&sr=1-1)maps out where different brain functions exist normally and how those parts of the brain shift in use when there is damage…really fascinating because you get an overview of where brain function lays and also how adaptible it is…