Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

"The search for memory" is the best book I've read this year. I've studied Artificial Intelligence in the early 90's, and love science, and a good story. For someone with this background, this book is pure candy. Kandel's life is intertwined with his attempt to understand what makes us tick. He writes about the scars that Nazi occupation has left on a young Jewish boy in Vienna. These scars lead to a passionate quest for "why", why do people act as they do. Luckily for us, Kandel's attempt to answer this question leads him on a quest that has him surfing the perfect wave of the brain research his whole life. And in this book, we get to experience the wave with him. For me, science books are often either too technical, or too mushy. This one manages to hit the golden middle ground. After reading it, I have a lot better understanding of the brain & memory in general, and some topics I was not really looking to understand: genetics & cell biology. The book is well organized. Kandel's personal memories mix with science and keep things from being too dry. The discoveries he describes come alive with the personalities that made them. And when you forget the exact meaning of some technical term such as "modulating circuit", there is a great glossary appendix to refresh your memory. And the topic of the book is so fascinating. Memory is at the core of who we are, why do remember our summer holiday from 1972 so well, and forget what we had for breakfast today. Science, that invites you to think those grand philosophical thoughts. The book ends around 2004 with author applying his work to Alzeheimer's disease. From Kristalnacht to biotech in a lifetime, what a journey. The only thing I wanted to ask Mr. Kandel was how do we manage to store so many memories. I understand how a single experience is stored, but what ties a sequence of experiences together? Highly recommended for science types, and those who like to mix biology & philosophy.