Hemisphere Function in the Human Brain ed. by S. J. Dimond and J. G. Beaumont (review)

This is not the history of the sources and the development of our concepts of the chemistry and physics of heredity. If this were the case, we should not have 12 pages on Avery and at least 150 on Crick and Watson. We should hear more of so important a laboratory as that ofTodd and his collaborators in Cambridge; and the name of Waldo E. Cohn would not be missing altogether. It is no more than the title promises: a painstaking, exhaustive, and exhausting description of an episode in the history of biology. Some may question whether there was a need for so bulky an attempt at scientific hagiography. But why not? Just as the Legenda Aurea contains the charming legend of the Inventio sanctae crucis, we have here the account of the invention of the double helix. This is, speaking mythopoeically, not unfitting, for the double helix, quite apart from its many undeniable scientific merits, has become a mighty symbol: it has replaced the cross as the signature of the biological analphabet. The book, although in other respects not badly produced, is marred by too many misprints. Erwin Chargaff 350 Central Park West New York, New York 10025 Hemisphere Function in the Human Brain. Edited by S. J. Dimond and J. G. Beaumont. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1974. Pp. 398. $32.50. This book is a very valuable contribution by many leading authorities in this important field. The human cerebral cortex is the most complex and important structure in existence. No doubt because of its great complexity it has in the past been intimidating to many potential investigators, but in the last decade there have been remarkable advances, and this book gives an excellent account of a wide range of recent investigations. In fact, the contributors themselves have made notable advances in our knowledge of the cerebral hemispheres. There are, unfortunately, some defects in the book because the contributors are experts in overlapping fields, and therefore there is much overlap in their presentations . The same research work is quoted time and again in the various papers, and some of the discussions cover much the same ground. In a rapidly growing field like this, one would have expected more critical discussions of the many new discoveries; but I was disappointed to find so little critical evaluation. With the great wealth of new data, particularly coming from psychological laboratories, one needs strong criticisms so that the total picture emerges more clearly. As it is, I had the impression at times that the field is suffering from too many data and not enough reasoned and constructive appraisal. To make a general comment, I would say that the contributors are behavioristically oriented. They regard the human subjects as operating mechanistically. There is in fact almost no trace of dualism except so far as it is compatible with a philosophy of parallelism. That is to say that the mind is simply an appendage to brain operations and is not contributing effectively to these operations. There is some philosophical discussion in this field in the papers of Trevarthen and 290 I Book Reviews Zangwill which I will refer to later. I also have a feeling that, besides this philosophical deficiency, there is an anatomical deficiency. Although the book is entitled Hemisphere Function in the Human Brain, it is impossible to speak of function without a basis of anatomy. The paper of Dr. Geschwind is a notable exception to this stricture. While I am speaking negatively about the book I will mention that many figures are very complex, with the details too small, and, in particular, the legends are in many cases inadequate. After spending some time, I was still unsure about the interpretation of some of the illustrative material. Apart from this minor criticism, I am happy to state that the book has been excellently produced and that it is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive survey of this important field. Dr. Dimond's introduction is a pleasure to read and does touch on the problems of philosophy, but with a very parallelistic viewpoint, though there is suggestion that there may be more to it. For example, he states: Yet at the same time the...