To have an avocation which affords pleasure and satisfaction is everyone's desire, but to be able to share this avocation with others for their pleasure is rare indeed. The essays and addresses which are included in this book mark the author as one of those unusual people who not only have pleasant avocations but also have succeeded in sharing them with others.
The selections are well chosen. They reveal Dr. Penfield's catholicity of interest in the course of his "second career" and, at the same time, offer the reader many provocative thoughts. As bedside browsing for the profession or as reading during lonely vigils that are sometimes necessary, each of these writings offers excellent diversion.
The topics covered include historical narratives, some autobiography, observations made in connection with the author's work on the brain, and personal reminiscences about his experiences with Osler, Ramón y Cajal, Sir Charles Sherrington, and others.