Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a mythic figure in science. Hailed as the father of modern anatomy and neurobiology, he was largely responsible for the modern conception of the brain. His groundbreaking works were New Ideas on the Structure of the Nervous System and Histology of the Nervous System in Man and Vertebrates. In addition to leaving a legacy of unparalleled scientific research, Cajal sought to educate the novice scientist about how science was done and how he thought it should be done. This recently rediscovered classic, first published in 1897, is an anecdotal guide for the perplexed new investigator as well as a refreshing resource for the old pro.Cajal was a pragmatist, aware of the pitfalls of being too idealistic -- and he had a sense of humor, particularly evident in his diagnoses of various stereotypes of eccentric scientists. The book covers everything from valuable personality traits for an investigator to social factors conducive to scientific work.

圣地亚哥·拉蒙－卡哈尔，西班牙人，神经科学之父，科学界的传奇人物，1906年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖得主。著有两本重量级著作：《神经系统结构新论》与《人和脊椎动物的神经组织学》，为现代神经解剖学奠定了理论基础。卡哈尔还是一位声誉卓著的作家。他的自传《人生的回顾》、格言集《咖啡絮语》文采斐然，成为西班牙文学经典而畅销不衰。