Knee Ligaments: Structure, Function, Injury, and Repair

Pellegrino. In an essay that may by itself be worth the price of the book, Pellegrino examines the changes in contemporary society that in his view require a revision in medical ethics; he proceeds to propose the steps he feels must be taken to develop a new ethic. Pellegrino's essay is a surprising but welcome addition to this volume. The problem with the Fidia lecture series is that it is difficult to conjure up an appropriate audience. By and large, the individual lectures are excellent, timely, and informative in and of themselves. There is, however, little material to support linking these lectures together as a collection. The level of detail may be too much for the interested amateur, and professional neuroscientists will find little more than what is contained in thorough reviews of the different subjects and may be disappointed. It is an altogether noble effort by Fidia to honor Italian pioneers and contemporary leaders in neuroscience research. Nonetheless, it would be nice if such renowned scholars would take this opportunity to review their work briefly and then speculate on the implications their research has for our understanding of the brain. This aim, after all, is what the enterprise of neuroscience is supposed to be about. Failing this change, one at least hopes that in future volumes an editor will be included who will have the awardees direct their lectures to a more general audience of neuroscientists.