来自: Sapphire (武汉)
创建时间: 2010-03-05 18:10:38　最后修改时间: 2010-04-16 20:49:41

　　Dear Young Friends:　　　　As promised in my talk in Wuhan last week, I am enclosing a list of twelve books, together with some personal comments. These are selected from the notes I wrote in the past ten years for students at the Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai on some of the books in our library. I felt that my life was very much enriched and my scientific work greatly benefited from the books I have read in the past, including those included here. Many great scientists are my mentors and taught me how to do science through their writings. Reading the first-hand account of the process of the discovery by the discoverers themselves is probably the most effective way of learning how to do creative and original science. 　　　　Some books have translated versions published in Chinese. However, I highly recommend reading these books in their original language - not only for accuracy but also for learning how to write in English. You should also pay some attention to the way messages are presented, in addition to the messages themselves. It is a joy to read writings by scientists like Peter Medawar, Francis Crick, Stephen J. Gould, and Richard Lewontin. The clarity, accuracy, and charm are often lost in translation. Good writings are like pieces of artwork to be appreciated and enjoyed. 　　　　Best wishes to fruitful reading,　　Mu-ming Poo 　　　　P.S. 　　1. My poor typing skill for Chinese characters prevented me from writing these notes in Chinese. 　　2. Some students asked for the digital version of the books I suggested. I do not have it. I guess you can ask your library to purchase the book or order it yourself by mail through Amazon Books.