From the reviews: "This book represents the state of the art on EFA physiology and function. Some chapters are finely written. Particularly interesting are those dealing with the evolutionary aspects of diet, the importance of DHA in central nervous system development, and the role of EFA in cognitive function and psychiatric disorders...The editors...must be congratulated for expediting the publication of this timely and important textbook. It looks to the future, and sets the stage for what is becoming an exciting field of research. Lipid biochemists, nutritionists, developmental biologists and neuroscientists would benefit from this book. Academic libraries must have copies of it..." - Canadian Journal Gastroenterol "Of interest to nutritionists, psychiatrists and basic investigators in these fields, such as psycho-pharmacologists, but also neonatologists may find some interesting data on metabolic influences on brain development." - Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism "The book is successfully edited by three experts...the 23 chapters are written by additional specialists, resulting in an impressive gathering of expertise. The book is clear and easy to grasp through a brief study...the book is a goldmine for anybody interested in current nutrition and medical aspects of fatty acids." - Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition "The book will undoubtedly stimulate further research in these fields. It can be recommended to all scientists interested in the fundamental aspects of nutrition." - Acta Cardiologica "The book gives detailed reviews of biochemical and molecular functions of essential fatty acids(EFA) under consideration of their role in different associated fields like human physiology, immunology, health and disease prevention as well as behavioral functions, just to name a few of them." - Nahrung/Food "...Fatty Acids is timely and can help lipid researchers to catch up with the most recent knowledge in the field. I strongly recommend this book for PUFA researchers. It is also a must for postgraduate students in this field." European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology "...this is an exciting monograph that hopefully will bring the importance of the essential fatty acids to the attention of a wide body of basic and clinical neuroscientists as well as the increasing band of researchers who are interested in 'nutripharmaceuticals'. Monographs such as this help to give credibility to the old adage 'we are what we eat' but, as many of the authors of this volume emphasize, much remains to be discovered regarding the mechanism whereby the essential fatty acids produce their diverse biological effects." -Human Psychopharmacology "...provides a great deal of information about fatty acid activities across a number of disciplines." - Today's Life Science "Collectively, more than 2000 citations provide adequate documentation of the information in the 420 pages and 23 chapters by authors with recognized expertise in the areas of their respective contributions. These contributors discuss the role of EFAs in metabolism, immunity, aging, perinatal development, and psychiatric, neurologic, and cognitive disorders in considerable detail. ... this book is worth owning and reading by everyone interested in increasing familiarity with the subject." (Barry S. Kendler, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 22, July, 2006)

• Part I. Basic Mechanisms Evolutionary Aspects of Diet: Essential Fatty AcidsArtemis P. Simopoulos Modulation of Receptor Signaling by Phospholipid Acyl Chain CompositionDrake C. Mitchell and Burton J. Litman Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Determining Membrane Structure and Function: Lessons Learned from Normal and Neoplastic LeukocytesLaura J. Jenski and William Stillwell Effects of Essential Fatty Acids on Voltage-Regulated Ionic Channels and Seizure Thresholds in AnimalsRobert A. Voskuyl and Martin Vreugdenhil Role of Dietary Fats and Exercise in Immune Functions and AgingJaya T. Venkatraman and David Pendergast Part II. Phospholipid and Fatty Acid Composition and Metabolism On the Relative Efficacy of _-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal DevelopmentMeng-Chuan Huang and J. Thomas Brenna Recent Advances in the Supply of Docosahexaenoic Acid to the Nervous SystemRobert J. Pawlosky and Norman Salem Jr Quantifying and Imaging Brain Phospholipid Metabolism In Vivo Using Radiolabeled Long Chain Fatty AcidsStanley I. Rapoport Carbon Recycling: An Important Pathway in _-Linolenate Metabolism in Fetuses and NeonatesStephen C. Cunnane Part III. DHA and CNS Development Impact of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids on Neuronal Structure and FunctionM. Thomas Clandinin, R.A.R. Bowen, and Miyoung Suh Dietary N-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and its Reversibility: Effects upon Brain Phospholipids and the Turnover of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Brain and BloodWilliam E. Connor, Gregory J. Anderson, and Don S. Lin The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal FunctionAlgis J. Vingrys, James A. Armitage, Harrison S. Weisinger, B.V. Bui, Andrew J.Sinclair, and Richard S. Weisinger Brightness-Discrimination Learning Behavior and Retinal Function Affected by Long-Term _-Linolenic Acid Deficiency in Rat, Harumi OkuyamaYoichi Fujii, and Atsushi Ikemoto Part IV. Pathology Disturbances of Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism in Neural Complications of DiabetesJoseph Eichberg and Cristinel Mîinea Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy for Disorders of Peroxisome BiogenesisHugo W. Moser and Gerald V. Raymond Effects of Fatty Acids and Ketones on Neuronal Excitability: Implications for Epilepsy and its Treatment Carl E. Stafstrom Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: Toxic Nonoxidative Metabolites of EthanolZbigniew M. Szczepiorkowski and Michael Laposata Part V. Psychiatry and Behavior Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders: Current Status of the FieldJoseph R. Hibbeln and Norman Salem Jr Disorders of Phospholipid Metabolism in Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders, and Neurodegenerative DisordersDavid F. Horrobin Eicosapentaenoic Acid: A Potential New Treatment for Schizophrenia?Malcolm Peet and Shaun Ryles The Importance of DHA in Optimal Cognitive Function in RodentsClaus C. Becker and David J. Kyle The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Body Fluid and Energy HomeostasisRichard S. Weisinger, James A. Armitage, Peta Burns, Andrew J. Sinclair, Algis J. Vingrys, and Harrison S. Weisinger PUFA: Mediators for the Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune SystemsShlomo Yehuda, Sharon Rabinovitz, and David I. Mostofsky

From the reviews: "This book represents the state of the art on EFA physiology and function. Some chapters are finely written. Particularly interesting are those dealing with the evolutionary aspects of diet, the importance of DHA in central nervous system development, and the role of EFA in cognitive function and psychiatric disorders...The editors...must be congratulated for expediting the publication of this timely and important textbook. It looks to the future, and sets the stage for what is becoming an exciting field of research. Lipid biochemists, nutritionists, developmental biologists and neuroscientists would benefit from this book. Academic libraries must have copies of it..." - Canadian Journal Gastroenterol "Of interest to nutritionists, psychiatrists and basic investigators in these fields, such as psycho-pharmacologists, but also neonatologists may find some interesting data on metabolic influences on brain development." - Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism "The book is successfully edited by three experts...the 23 chapters are written by additional specialists, resulting in an impressive gathering of expertise. The book is clear and easy to grasp through a brief study...the book is a goldmine for anybody interested in current nutrition and medical aspects of fatty acids." - Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition "The book will undoubtedly stimulate further research in these fields. It can be recommended to all scientists interested in the fundamental aspects of nutrition." - Acta Cardiologica "The book gives detailed reviews of biochemical and molecular functions of essential fatty acids(EFA) under consideration of their role in different associated fields like human physiology, immunology, health and disease prevention as well as behavioral functions, just to name a few of them." - Nahrung/Food "...Fatty Acids is timely and can help lipid researchers to catch up with the most recent knowledge in the field. I strongly recommend this book for PUFA researchers. It is also a must for postgraduate students in this field." European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology "...this is an exciting monograph that hopefully will bring the importance of the essential fatty acids to the attention of a wide body of basic and clinical neuroscientists as well as the increasing band of researchers who are interested in 'nutripharmaceuticals'. Monographs such as this help to give credibility to the old adage 'we are what we eat' but, as many of the authors of this volume emphasize, much remains to be discovered regarding the mechanism whereby the essential fatty acids produce their diverse biological effects." -Human Psychopharmacology "...provides a great deal of information about fatty acid activities across a number of disciplines." - Today's Life Science "Collectively, more than 2000 citations provide adequate documentation of the information in the 420 pages and 23 chapters by authors with recognized expertise in the areas of their respective contributions. These contributors discuss the role of EFAs in metabolism, immunity, aging, perinatal development, and psychiatric, neurologic, and cognitive disorders in considerable detail. ... this book is worth owning and reading by everyone interested in increasing familiarity with the subject." (Barry S. Kendler, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 22, July, 2006)

• Part I. Basic Mechanisms Evolutionary Aspects of Diet: Essential Fatty AcidsArtemis P. Simopoulos Modulation of Receptor Signaling by Phospholipid Acyl Chain CompositionDrake C. Mitchell and Burton J. Litman Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Determining Membrane Structure and Function: Lessons Learned from Normal and Neoplastic LeukocytesLaura J. Jenski and William Stillwell Effects of Essential Fatty Acids on Voltage-Regulated Ionic Channels and Seizure Thresholds in AnimalsRobert A. Voskuyl and Martin Vreugdenhil Role of Dietary Fats and Exercise in Immune Functions and AgingJaya T. Venkatraman and David Pendergast Part II. Phospholipid and Fatty Acid Composition and Metabolism On the Relative Efficacy of _-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal DevelopmentMeng-Chuan Huang and J. Thomas Brenna Recent Advances in the Supply of Docosahexaenoic Acid to the Nervous SystemRobert J. Pawlosky and Norman Salem Jr Quantifying and Imaging Brain Phospholipid Metabolism In Vivo Using Radiolabeled Long Chain Fatty AcidsStanley I. Rapoport Carbon Recycling: An Important Pathway in _-Linolenate Metabolism in Fetuses and NeonatesStephen C. Cunnane Part III. DHA and CNS Development Impact of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids on Neuronal Structure and FunctionM. Thomas Clandinin, R.A.R. Bowen, and Miyoung Suh Dietary N-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and its Reversibility: Effects upon Brain Phospholipids and the Turnover of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Brain and BloodWilliam E. Connor, Gregory J. Anderson, and Don S. Lin The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal FunctionAlgis J. Vingrys, James A. Armitage, Harrison S. Weisinger, B.V. Bui, Andrew J.Sinclair, and Richard S. Weisinger Brightness-Discrimination Learning Behavior and Retinal Function Affected by Long-Term _-Linolenic Acid Deficiency in Rat, Harumi OkuyamaYoichi Fujii, and Atsushi Ikemoto Part IV. Pathology Disturbances of Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism in Neural Complications of DiabetesJoseph Eichberg and Cristinel Mîinea Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy for Disorders of Peroxisome BiogenesisHugo W. Moser and Gerald V. Raymond Effects of Fatty Acids and Ketones on Neuronal Excitability: Implications for Epilepsy and its Treatment Carl E. Stafstrom Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: Toxic Nonoxidative Metabolites of EthanolZbigniew M. Szczepiorkowski and Michael Laposata Part V. Psychiatry and Behavior Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders: Current Status of the FieldJoseph R. Hibbeln and Norman Salem Jr Disorders of Phospholipid Metabolism in Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders, and Neurodegenerative DisordersDavid F. Horrobin Eicosapentaenoic Acid: A Potential New Treatment for Schizophrenia?Malcolm Peet and Shaun Ryles The Importance of DHA in Optimal Cognitive Function in RodentsClaus C. Becker and David J. Kyle The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Body Fluid and Energy HomeostasisRichard S. Weisinger, James A. Armitage, Peta Burns, Andrew J. Sinclair, Algis J. Vingrys, and Harrison S. Weisinger PUFA: Mediators for the Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune SystemsShlomo Yehuda, Sharon Rabinovitz, and David I. Mostofsky

From the reviews: "This book represents the state of the art on EFA physiology and function. Some chapters are finely written. Particularly interesting are those dealing with the evolutionary aspects of diet, the importance of DHA in central nervous system development, and the role of EFA in cognitive function and psychiatric disorders...The editors...must be congratulated for expediting the publication of this timely and important textbook. It looks to the future, and sets the stage for what is becoming an exciting field of research. Lipid biochemists, nutritionists, developmental biologists and neuroscientists would benefit from this book. Academic libraries must have copies of it..." - Canadian Journal Gastroenterol "Of interest to nutritionists, psychiatrists and basic investigators in these fields, such as psycho-pharmacologists, but also neonatologists may find some interesting data on metabolic influences on brain development." - Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism "The book is successfully edited by three experts...the 23 chapters are written by additional specialists, resulting in an impressive gathering of expertise. The book is clear and easy to grasp through a brief study...the book is a goldmine for anybody interested in current nutrition and medical aspects of fatty acids." - Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition "The book will undoubtedly stimulate further research in these fields. It can be recommended to all scientists interested in the fundamental aspects of nutrition." - Acta Cardiologica "The book gives detailed reviews of biochemical and molecular functions of essential fatty acids(EFA) under consideration of their role in different associated fields like human physiology, immunology, health and disease prevention as well as behavioral functions, just to name a few of them." - Nahrung/Food "...Fatty Acids is timely and can help lipid researchers to catch up with the most recent knowledge in the field. I strongly recommend this book for PUFA researchers. It is also a must for postgraduate students in this field." European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology "...this is an exciting monograph that hopefully will bring the importance of the essential fatty acids to the attention of a wide body of basic and clinical neuroscientists as well as the increasing band of researchers who are interested in 'nutripharmaceuticals'. Monographs such as this help to give credibility to the old adage 'we are what we eat' but, as many of the authors of this volume emphasize, much remains to be discovered regarding the mechanism whereby the essential fatty acids produce their diverse biological effects." -Human Psychopharmacology "...provides a great deal of information about fatty acid activities across a number of disciplines." - Today's Life Science "Collectively, more than 2000 citations provide adequate documentation of the information in the 420 pages and 23 chapters by authors with recognized expertise in the areas of their respective contributions. These contributors discuss the role of EFAs in metabolism, immunity, aging, perinatal development, and psychiatric, neurologic, and cognitive disorders in considerable detail. ... this book is worth owning and reading by everyone interested in increasing familiarity with the subject." (Barry S. Kendler, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 22, July, 2006)

• Part I. Basic Mechanisms Evolutionary Aspects of Diet: Essential Fatty AcidsArtemis P. Simopoulos Modulation of Receptor Signaling by Phospholipid Acyl Chain CompositionDrake C. Mitchell and Burton J. Litman Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Determining Membrane Structure and Function: Lessons Learned from Normal and Neoplastic LeukocytesLaura J. Jenski and William Stillwell Effects of Essential Fatty Acids on Voltage-Regulated Ionic Channels and Seizure Thresholds in AnimalsRobert A. Voskuyl and Martin Vreugdenhil Role of Dietary Fats and Exercise in Immune Functions and AgingJaya T. Venkatraman and David Pendergast Part II. Phospholipid and Fatty Acid Composition and Metabolism On the Relative Efficacy of _-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal DevelopmentMeng-Chuan Huang and J. Thomas Brenna Recent Advances in the Supply of Docosahexaenoic Acid to the Nervous SystemRobert J. Pawlosky and Norman Salem Jr Quantifying and Imaging Brain Phospholipid Metabolism In Vivo Using Radiolabeled Long Chain Fatty AcidsStanley I. Rapoport Carbon Recycling: An Important Pathway in _-Linolenate Metabolism in Fetuses and NeonatesStephen C. Cunnane Part III. DHA and CNS Development Impact of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids on Neuronal Structure and FunctionM. Thomas Clandinin, R.A.R. Bowen, and Miyoung Suh Dietary N-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and its Reversibility: Effects upon Brain Phospholipids and the Turnover of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Brain and BloodWilliam E. Connor, Gregory J. Anderson, and Don S. Lin The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal FunctionAlgis J. Vingrys, James A. Armitage, Harrison S. Weisinger, B.V. Bui, Andrew J.Sinclair, and Richard S. Weisinger Brightness-Discrimination Learning Behavior and Retinal Function Affected by Long-Term _-Linolenic Acid Deficiency in Rat, Harumi OkuyamaYoichi Fujii, and Atsushi Ikemoto Part IV. Pathology Disturbances of Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism in Neural Complications of DiabetesJoseph Eichberg and Cristinel Mîinea Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy for Disorders of Peroxisome BiogenesisHugo W. Moser and Gerald V. Raymond Effects of Fatty Acids and Ketones on Neuronal Excitability: Implications for Epilepsy and its Treatment Carl E. Stafstrom Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: Toxic Nonoxidative Metabolites of EthanolZbigniew M. Szczepiorkowski and Michael Laposata Part V. Psychiatry and Behavior Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders: Current Status of the FieldJoseph R. Hibbeln and Norman Salem Jr Disorders of Phospholipid Metabolism in Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders, and Neurodegenerative DisordersDavid F. Horrobin Eicosapentaenoic Acid: A Potential New Treatment for Schizophrenia?Malcolm Peet and Shaun Ryles The Importance of DHA in Optimal Cognitive Function in RodentsClaus C. Becker and David J. Kyle The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Body Fluid and Energy HomeostasisRichard S. Weisinger, James A. Armitage, Peta Burns, Andrew J. Sinclair, Algis J. Vingrys, and Harrison S. Weisinger PUFA: Mediators for the Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune SystemsShlomo Yehuda, Sharon Rabinovitz, and David I. Mostofsky