"The text consistently excels..... The entire text is honed and refined to the extent that students reading the text will be transformed into reasonably sophisticated biopsychologists by the book''s end..... I think that many of the chapters are close to perfection." -- Nancy J. Woolf, UCLA "Pinel is an excellent writer.... [The case studies] are a major strength over Kalat. These sections should pique the students'' interests and hopefully help them appreciate the relevance of this course." -- Joseph H. Porter, Virginia Commonwealth University "When I review a possible book for adoption, I first turn to the chapter on axonal and synaptic transmission. A really great author should be able to make these topics interesting and engaging. Pinel has succeeded in doing this by taking some new directions that I applaud." -- Douglas Engwall, Central CT State "Dr. Pinel has a wonderful style that makes complicated material accessible. This is particularly helpful for those students who might be intimidated by the ''hard sciences.'' ... I would like to thank Dr. Pinel for his efforts over the years to provide clear and concise material for students to appreciate the depth and fascination of biopsychology. Congratulations on a fantastic job!" -- David Holtzman, University of Rochester "Pinel''s use of anecdotes and personal stories is superior to Kalat''s." - Stanley N. Bursten, Santa Barbara City College "I really liked the illustrations. I thought the attention to detail, especially, in labeling all of the important structures and pathways was outstanding. This may the first book in which illustrations are complementary to the text, as opposed to something fun to look at while you read." -- RitaMichelle Lewellen, Cerritos College Excerpt from a letter to the author (used with permission):: "I am currently a 2nd year Psychology student at the University of Western Ontario and I am taking a Biopsychology class...I have to say what an amazing text this is... I recently switched majors from physiology/medical sciences to psychology and I was confused for a while about what I liked more: biological sciences or psychology. I didn''t know I could combine them until I read your textbook. Your book was inspirational for me and I now have a clearer, more defined idea of what I would like to do with my degree and future endeavours. Thank you very much for writing such an interesting textbook that was so clearly aimed to help students understand and appreciate biopsychology. I honestly attribute my new-found interest in biopsychology to the amazing work you put in to this text. Too bad I am several provinces away from B.C, I would have loved to be in one of your classes! Thank you again and I hope to read more of your work in the future." - Tannis, student at University of Western Ontario Excerpt from a letter to the author (used with permission):: "I am doing a Graduate Diploma in Psychology in Brisbane, Australia and just wanted to say that your textbook is particularly interesting and stimulating. I can see that there is passion and clarity in every chapter and your own experiences with the tumour as relayed in Chapter 10 was fascinating. It''s good to know that some texts can have that "human" factor, and this really makes an impact on the reader." - Simon, student at Brisbane, Australia Excerpt from a letter to the author (used with permission):: "Dr. Pinel: I just completed aPhysiological Psychology class at Chapman University College. Your "Biopsychology" text was required for the class. It was the BEST textbook I have ever used. I''m 51 years old and have taken many classes in my life so that''s saying a heck of lot!!! Believe me, I have certainly never written to the author to complement him on the text. You made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making a tough class enjoyable." - Eileen, student at Chapman University Excerpt from a letter to the author (used with permission):: "I have just finishe

1. Introduction to Biopsychology How Biopsychologists Think about Behavior 1.1 What is Biopsychology? 1.2 Human Evolution 1.3 Fundamental Genetics 1.4 Thinking about the Biology of Behavior: Mind-Brain and Nature-Nurture Issues
Chapter 2 Anatomy of the Brain The Systems, Structures, and Cells that Make Up Your Nervous System 2.1 General Layout of the Nervous System 2.2 Cells of the Nervous System 2.3 Neuroanatomical Techniques and Directions 2.4 The Spinal Cord 2.5 The Five Divisions of the Brain 2.6 Major Structures of the Brain
Chapter 3 Neural Activity and How to Study It How Neurons Work 3.1 The Neuronrsquo;s Resting Membrane Potential 3.2 Postsynaptic Potentials and Action Potentials 3.3 Conduction of Action Potentials 3.4 Synaptic Transmission: Chemical Transmission of Signals from One Neuron to Another 3.5 The Neurotransmitters 3.6 How Biopsychologists Study the Brain PART 2: Sensory and Motor Systems
Chapter 4 The Visual System How We See 4.1 Light Enters the Eye and Reaches the Retina 4.2 The Retina and Translation of Light into Neural Signals 4.3 From Retina to Primary Visual Cortex 4.4 Seeing Edges 4.5 Seeing Color 4.6 Cortical Mechanisms of Vision: Beyond Primary Visual Cortex
Chapter 5 Mechanisms of Perception Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell, and Attention: How You Know the World 5.1 Principles of Sensory System Organization 5.2&n