A fascinating personal story of an important medical discovery

books:

	• The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine Michael Gershon Harper Paperbacks, 1999 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

the science of digestion

This book describes the author's research into the function of the digestive system, with emphasis on the amazing complexity of its neural control, which operates largely independent of the central nervous system (and independent of our consciousness as well). The book is very thorough, taking you through the gut step by step from one end to the other. There are some abstruse technical parts, but overall the book can be followed by the layman without too much difficulty. The paperback version is a real bargain in terms of the information you get.

Hope inspiring, interesting & informative.

Cutting edge information! Interesting and inspiring work. Hope the cure is discovered. This makes a cure or real treatment seem possible.

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The second Brain

My psychiatrist recommended this book. He has stomach problems and he said it would help my wife.

A fascinating personal story of an important medical discovery

This is an engaging personal story of the discovery of a neurotransmitter important in the brain and the gastrointestinal system in humans. Treatments for depression and some crippling belly complaints are based on the initial discoveries made by Dr. Gershon and other researchers, in diverse areas of medical science around the world. Many years ago I as involved with research on what eventually became known as the enteric nervous system and know many of the people and intimate stories described in this book. The value of this book is to learn not only further details and more stories but to enjoy how Dr. Gershon tells his story of discovery, perserverance, acquisition of knowledge and finally acceptance of his work by the medical community. Dr. Gershon's story is valuable to any inquisitive person who asks why, reaches barriers in knowledge, and follows the trail of information until he or she gets the answer. His is a story of having fun while trying to do good for others. Dr. Gershon's brilliance is not only his problem-solving capacity but his willingness to share knowledge plus mentor others, and his self-effacing Jewish humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

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Less interesting than the title suggests

This book provides a more complete description of the digestive system than most people would want.

It describes evidence that the gut is controlled by an independent nervous system. Contrary to what the title suggests, only a small part of the book talks about that, and the implications of this independence seem minor. The book is more about biochemistry than neuroscience.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

Dr. Michael Gershon has devoted his career to understanding the human bowel (the stomach, esophagus, small intestine, and colon). His thirty years of research have led to an extraordinary rediscovery: nerve cells in the gut that act as a brain. This "second brain" can control our gut all by itself. Our two brains -- the one in our head and the one in our bowel -- must cooperate. If they do not, then there is chaos in the gut and misery in the head -- everything from "butterflies" to cramps, from diarrhea to constipation. Dr. Gershon's work has led to radical new understandings about a wide range of gastrointestinal problems including gastroenteritis, nervous stomach, and irritable bowel syndrome. The Second Brain represents a quantum leap in medical knowledge and is already benefiting patients whose symptoms were previously dismissed as neurotic or "it's all in your head."

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