Enriching heredity : the impact of the environment on the anatomy of the brain /

With the publication of this volume a pool of experimental data has been collected and presented to support the nurture side of the nurture versus nature argument. Diamond begins with the premise that one's genetic makeup is a given, but that environment can significantly modify the anatomy of the brain, with ultimate importance to processes of learning and behavior. She has amassed an impressive body of evidence, accumulated in her own lab and in the labs of others, to support this argument. The book is divided into seven chapters, each of which considers either a specific component of the brain that is modified by environment (forebrain, neurons, etc.), or a specific environmental factor that modifies brain anatomy (sex hormones, stress, etc.). Although this material has every likelihood of becoming weighty bordering on the boring, the author has succeeded in producing an easily readable work. This has been accomplished partially by the elimination of large numbers of references in the text; they have been listed at the end of the volume. The 11-page index is sufficiently detailed to make this a reference volume. Anyone interested in the nurture versus nature question will find this book a valuable source. -L. A. Meserve, Bowling Green State University

Diamond, a foremost neuroscientist for the past 30 years, has produced an authoritative review of the research on brain development. Style and format are clinical here, with the focus on experiments with rats. The author correlates brain chemistry, behavior, and environment, with those findings then related to other studies in neuroscience. (For example, Einstein's brain was studied for cell size and shape after years of experiments showed a correlation between intelligence and brain dimensions.) Other areas of human psychology and physiology discussed include Alzheimer's disease and the effects of oral contraceptives such as nonrethynodrel. Diamond concludes that environment can and does affect brain growth. An excellent volume for more serious students of the brain, Enriching Heredity also provides fascinating tidbits of information for the interested general reader. References; to be indexed. GRH. 599'.048 Brain-Anatomy / Brain-Adaptation / Neuroplasticity / Brain-Evolution / Mammals-Physiology [OCLC] 88-7151