Physiological Psychology: A Neuroscience Approach

This book is a sometimes-satisfying-oftentimes-brief introduction to the subject matter. The format is the same as any science textbook (chapter, subtopic, summary, review questions, etc.), and if you already own a good physiology textbook you will find that most of the material is redundant. Do not buy this book if you're a student of a health care profession. The information on disease states is much too shallow. In fact, I think this book is mostly appropriate for psychology students seeking exposure to neuroscience and physiology--such as key concepts of body sytems and brain receptors. You will not find anything beyond the basics of biochemistry, and if you want to learn about relevant drug therapies and pharmacology, this book only serves appetizers. Now for the aesthetics: Dr. Smock has a style of writing which I believe all textbook writers should try to emulate; he is engaging, accurate, and clear. His illustrations are top-rate, and his numerous history captions help to spot scientific trends and origins. His chapters begin with tone-setting quotations from philosophers and poets, and the inclusion of supplemental highlights of modern psych-concepts is refreshing. There is a bio-caption at the front of the book which tells that Dr. Smock is the recipient of several "student-initiated awards," no doubt well-deserved. Very few texts are as student-friendly.

I had seen an early copy of this work while it was underdevelopment at the Howard Hughes Undergradute Neuroscience Research Labratory at the University of Colorado. From inception it has been a groundbreaking project in the realm of undergraduate neuroscience education. The book effectively melds the hard sciences of neurobiology with the softer aspects of the Humanities that undergraduates are concurrently learning. This would be an excellent book for any neuroscience program residing in a liberal arts institution.