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Rating: 
Summary: An extremely recommendable book for neuroscientists
Review: As in Larry Swanson's writing is usual, he wrote an amazing book, where you will find in 200s pages an overview of the neuroanatomical knowledge that it is available nowadays. Besides, he offers an outstanding revision of the neural systems that are present from unicellular organisms to vertebrates.
In summary, in my opinion this is a very recommendable book for anyone interested in neuroscience.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book for serious neuroscientists
Review: I found this book to be stimulating, informing, and very readable. Larry shows his mastery of brain organisation by distilling reams of detail into instructive paragraphs. This is one of the most interesting neuroscience books I have read. It is a must buy for graduate students in mammalian neuroscience. Congratualtions Larry!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a serious work
Review: This book is not for people with a serious interest in brain structure or function. The text suffers from an extraordinary absence of references-there are literally none with the exception of some of the figures. This omission is made all the more disturbing by an endless series of dubious claims (all unreferenced):• "...there are in round numbers about 50000 major connections or pathways that form the macrocircuitry of the central nervous system."
• people born without a cerebellum can "think just fine."
• "...the infragranular layers are essentially the 'motor' part of the cerebral cortex."
• "the cerebral cortex...is the part of the nervous system responsible for thinking." The book's laborious coverage of neural development is adequately presented, but has little in the way of a payoff for understanding principles of brain architecture beyond the strictly anatomical. The chapter on motor systems presents the loosely constrained theory of "central pattern generators" with minimal acknowledgment of the complexity or contention in the literature. And the chapter on sensory systems is an ode to the diversity of sensory receptors with little to say about general principles of sensation or how they are reflected in anatomy. The most interesting sections of the book are those in which Swanson discusses the insights of history's great early thinkers in neuroscience. One can appreciate the brilliance of the contributions of Aristotle, Descartes and Gall while recognizing how their conclusions were ultimately crippled by dogma. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is filled with little more than present day dogma. Although the study of neuroanatomy is deep and rich, at this point it has little to say alone about the how the brain works. Surprisingly, Swanson presents little from an enormous body of neurophysiology, lesion and behavioral experiments which work with anatomical results to help constrain our thinking about brain function. In summary, Brain Architecture has far more dogma than data, and reads less like a carefully constructed scientific thesis than an endless series of speculations. If you have a serious interest in neuroanatomy or brain function, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Not a serious work
Review: This is a well written and concise introduction to some basic principles of CNS anatomy, written with an eye to both historical and developmental perspectives. Swanson likes to use classic diagrams from celebrated old-timers like Cajal to illustrate basic principles, and also includes some relatively new information on the exciting progress in molecular determinants of brain embryological development. I'd strongly recommend this as a first quick read-through for those about to embark on a more detailed neuroanatomy course, or for the interested undergraduate or even precocious high school student with an interest in the subject. Speaking as an experienced clinical neurologist, I found the book a nice refresher, and even learned a new thing or two from it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent neuroanatomy intro & overview
Review: This is a well written and concise introduction to some basic principles of CNS anatomy, written with an eye to both historical and developmental perspectives. Swanson likes to use classic diagrams from celebrated old-timers like Cajal to illustrate basic principles, and also includes some relatively new information on the exciting progress in molecular determinants of brain embryological development. I'd strongly recommend this as a first quick read-through for those about to embark on a more detailed neuroanatomy course, or for the interested undergraduate or even precocious high school student with an interest in the subject. Speaking as an experienced clinical neurologist, I found the book a nice refresher, and even learned a new thing or two from it.
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