PRINCIPLES OF NEURAL SCIENCE Edited

by Eric R. Kandel, James H. Schwartz and

Thomas M. Jessell, Appleton & Lange,
Norwalk, Conn., 1991, $69.50, ISBN
0838580343
Michael A. Henry
J Am Dent Assoc 1995;126;1614

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11 II%
PRINCIPLES OF NEURAL
SCIENCE
Edited by Eric R. Kandel,
James H. Schwartz and
Thomas M. Jessell, Appleton
& Lange, Norwalk, Conn.,
1991, $69.50, ISBN
0838580343
Ohis book covers a wide vari-
ety of topics pertaining to the
nervous system. The currently
available edition, published in
1991, is the third. Given the
rapid advancements that have
occurred over the last decade in
the field of neuroscience, no sin-
gle textbook will serve as a com-
prehensive reference to any sin-
gle issue or system; however,
this book comes as close as pos-
sible to providing the basics.
The textbook was written
mainly to serve as a broad refer-
ence guide for neuroscientists,
but it also is useful to the den-
tist who wants to delve into
basic mechanisms. Other text-
books would probably better
serve as a general reference for
clinical issues, but if the clini-
cian wants to investigate the
basic science findings that are
relevant to certain issues, this
textbook is an excellent one to
start with.
The textbook is organized
into several parts, each covering
a broad topic and containing a
number of related chapters. The
organization and content of the
book are excellent overall. The
quality of the illustrations,
which succinctly summarize the
main concepts presented, is es-
pecially noteworthy. Especially
1614 JADA, Vol. 126, December 1995
relevant to the field of dentistry
are parts dealing with the
brain's sensory systems (includ-
ing chapters on the anatomy of
the somatic sensory system,
pain and analgesia, and smell
and taste), motor systems of the
brain and the brain stem and
reticular core (including the
neuroanatomical organization of
the trigeminal system, as well
as clinical syndromes of the
spinal cord and brain stem).
Each chapter concludes with a
summary and a list of selected
readings, in addition to a list of
references that are somewhat
limited and generally confined
to landmark studies.
The contributors typically are
leaders in their fields. The edi-
tors, who are uniquely qualified
to act as coordinators for such a
book, also have contributed to
numerous chapters that deal
with their areas of expertise.
The contributors are primarily
from the College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Columbia
University, and each chapter was
critically read by various ex-
perts throughout the world be-
fore publication. Thus, the con-
tent of each chapter represents
input from a broad cross-section
of the neuroscience community.
In summary, this book is not
for everyone-but practicing
dentists who have a keen inter-
est in broad topics dealing with
the nervous system and would
like to own a single reference
text on the subject may find
that this is the book they seek.
Reviewed by Michael A.
Henry, D.D.S., Ph.D., Assistant
Professor and Director, TMJ
and Orofacial Pain Clinic,
University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center, Denver
MY LITTLE FRIEND GOES
TO THE DENTIST
By Evelyn M. Finnegan,
Scituate, Mass., Little Friend
Press, 1995, 32 p., $14.95,
ISBN 9641285-1-9
Ohere is a considerable body
of dental literature on the sub-
ject of managing fearful chil-
dren in the dental office. It is
surprising that little mention is
made of the use of picture books
to introduce small children to
dentistry. Evelyn M. Finnegan,
Downloaded from jada.ada.org on September 12, 2010
a former children's librarian,
and illustrator Diane R.
Houghton have produced My
Little Friend Goes to the
Dentist, an ideal book for this
purpose.
The "Little Friend" of the
title is a tiny doll that accompa-
nies Katherine on her visit to
Dr. Hills' office for extraction of
a loose tooth. The little friend
somehow gets lost under a scrap
of gauze and almost disappears
down the cuspidor before being
rescued. A real "Little Friend"
bookmark doll is available for
$3.95. Dr. Hills is Cheryl M.
Hills, D.M.D., of Scituate,
Mass., who contributed techni-
cal advice. Houghton's colorful
full-page illustrations show a
friendly office staff and realistic
procedures.
Both the author and illustra-
tor have given careful attention
to detail and accuracy in depict-
ing the dental visit; everything
is in compliance with OSHA
regulations, and a glossary of
dental terms is included. Many
previous books of this type for
children have consisted only of
the description of a dental visit;
the story line of a rescued doll is
a welcome addition and should