Peter E. Nathan was an acting President of the University of Iowa, serving in 1995. Prior to that, he served as Provost of the University of Iowa from 1993 to 1995. Nathan received his B.A. in Social Relations from Harvard College in 1957 and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in 1962.

• List of plates. Acknowledgements.An Appreciation.Introduction.Functions and structure of the nervous system.Examining the world.Light receptors: looking.Sound receptors: listening.Olfactory receptors: smelling.Gustatory receptors: tasting.Cutaneous receptors: touching and feeling.Receptors for the inside world.Nerves and nerve fiberes.Communication within the central nervous system.Standing, walking, running, flying, swimming.Awake and exploring; relaxed and sleeping.Needs, desires and emotions.Pain.The centre of the brain: the hypothalamus.Broadcasting: hormones.General plan of the human brain.Exploring the brain.Perception of the world and of oneself.Speech and other symbols.Learning.Remembering.Personality and the brain.Glossary.Index.