Students and non-specialists often find the complexities of the infrastructure of the nervous system compounded by the intricacies of the myriad chemical events which take place in its functioning.  This all-too-often results in a view of the nervous system as a “black box”, the integrated function of which eludes all but the most dedicated.  Many neurology texts, even those intended for beginners, seem to foster this attitude by the inclusion of non-discriminate detail that doesn’t add to the integrative understanding of the field.

     Molecular neuropharmacology: A foundation for clinical neuroscience 2^nd edition offers a straightforward approach which will be appreciated by those in need of an introduction to the pharmacology of neuroactive agents and general neurophysiology.  This is a result of the foresight of the editors, not only in arranging the material into layers of complexity, but also taking the next step and being sure that there is continuity throughout.  For example, drugs and receptors introduced in the opening chapters of the book often appear in several sections of the text including those illustrating their role in complex processes.  This allows the student to become familiar with a handful of concepts and see them through to application rather than “having the rug pulled out from under them” and having to learn new sets of unrelated information in each section of the text.

     The text is also visually appealing as it contains 300 high quality color illustrations which display the same qualities of conciseness and relevance that seem to have guided the production of this book.  Impressively, this is all contained in less than 500 pages, making it a practical and user friendly option for instructors to use in their semester courses. Students will find this text invaluable as an introduction to neuroscience and experienced professionals will find it a refreshing overview.