Finger, Stanley 1943-

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Finger, Stanley 1943-

PERSONAL:

Born May 11, 1943, in Bronx, NY; son of Harry and Beatrice Finger; married Wendy Zien, 1970; children: Robert, Bradley. Education: Hunter College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1964; Indiana University, M.A., 1966, Ph.D., 1968. Hobbies and other interests: Antique clocks and barometers, art, fishing, travel.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Dr., 425A Psychology Bldg., St. Louis, MO 63130-4862. E-mail—sfinger@wustl.edu.

CAREER:

Washington University, St. Louis, MO, professor of psychology, 1968—. Visiting professor at University of Gothenberg, 1972, Clark University, 1979, and Cambridge University, 1987.

MEMBER:

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society of the History of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Grant from National Institutes of Health, 1966-82.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) Recovery from Brain Damage: Research and Theory, Plenum Press (New York, NY), 1978.

(With Donald G. Stein) Brain Damage and Recovery: Research and Clinical Perspectives, Academic Press (New York, NY), 1982.

(Editor, with C. Robert Almli) Early Brain Damage, Volume 1: Research Orientations and Clinical Observations, Volume 2: Neurobiology and Behavior, Academic Press (Orlando, FL), 1984.

(Editor, with others) Brain Injury and Recovery: Theoretical and Controversial Issues, Plenum Press (New York, NY), 1988.

Origins of Neuroscience: A History of Explorations into Brain Function, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(Editor, with Robert Arnott and C.U.M. Smith) Trepanation: Discovery, History, Theory, Swets & Zeitlinger (Lisse, Netherlands), 2002.

Doctor Franklin's Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Press (Philadelphia, PA), 2006.

Senior editor of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences. Contributor to academic journals, including American Psychologist, Neurosurgery, Archives of Neurology, and Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

SIDELIGHTS:

Stanley Finger, a professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, writes widely about the neural sciences. His research interests include the history of neuroscience and the treatment of and recovery from brain damage, and he has published articles on such topics as cerebral dominance, the recognition of attention deficit disorder, and cranial trepanation (the practice of drilling holes in the skulls of living persons). Finger, the senior editor of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, has published a number of critically acclaimed works of nonfiction, including Origins of Neuroscience: A History of Explorations into Brain Function and Doctor Franklin's Medicine.

In 1982 Finger and coauthor Donald G. Stein published Brain Damage and Recovery: Research and Clinical Perspectives. Raymond P. Kesner, writing in Contemporary Psychology, remarked that that the volume is written in a consistent, informal style and concluded that it "provides a comprehensive multilevel review of the various aspects of recovery of function…. It attempts to correlate neurobiological functions with behavior. Wherever possible it points out the correspondence between human clinical data and animal laboratory models. It emphasizes a historical perspective, providing an appropriate context for the understanding of key concepts associated with recovery of function. Finally, it uses key experiments and ideas to illustrate the main empirical findings, to provide for points of disagreement, to highlight gaps in our knowledge, and to point out anomalies in the data that are not consistent with theory."

Finger and C. Robert Almli are coeditors of the two-volume work Early Brain Damage. The theme of the contributions is a comparison and evaluation of brain damage during early development and adulthood. John P. Bruno reviewed the two volumes in Contemporary Psychology, noting that he welcomed the "timely and broad-based collection." The first volume, titled Research Orientations and Clinical Observations, focuses on early brain damage in human clinical populations. Bruno remarked that it "addresses a wide array of topics, ranging from several animal models of human developmental disorders to the effects of neonatal and infantile cerebral insults on visual function, language development, and cognition." The second volume, Neurobiology and Behavior, provides a background of normal anatomy and the physiology of areas of the brain addressed in the first volume, and describes experiments with laboratory animals. Bruno commented that the set "is highly readable by persons not directly involved in this particular subject matter, and I consider it a must for those scientists actively researching problems in brain damage and recovery function."

In Origins of Neuroscience, Finger traces the history of neuroscience from the Greeks and Egyptians to the early part of the twentieth century. The twenty-nine chapters are enhanced by more than 350 black-and-white illustrations and extensive references. Theodore Melnechuk wrote in BioScience that "the bulk of the book tells stories of how, step by step, ‘specific brain functions, such as sensory and motor functions, sleep, emotion, intellect, learning, and speech’ came to be related to the gross brain regions that used to be associated with such entities of folk psychology before any of them were fractionated by modern science…. Perhaps because the author is a psychologist, it is the functions that organize this section—each function gets its own mini-history of being correlated with a brain structure, ranging from antiquity to approximately 1920, except for occasional accounts of later developments." In addition, Finger profiles such influential figures as Roman physician Galen, Belgian anatomist Andreas Vesalius, and French neurologist Paul Broca. According to Jennifer Altman, writing in New Scientist, the author "provides lively thumbnail sketches of the protagonists, richly illustrated. He gives not only a flavour of their personalities but also the religious, social and political context that shaped their ideas. He leaves us in no doubt that the brain sciences, which bring us closest to the existential questions about life, have always been heavily influenced by contemporary culture." Choice reviewer D.P. Kimble noted that Origins of Neuroscience "has no real rivals" and called it "a well-written and valuable addition to the literature of the history of the neurosciences." A contributor to Appraisal: Science Books for Young People added that "the book displays the key foundation works in neuroscience. This is a carefully crafted book, full of interesting details about the personalities involved in the early explorations followed by an in-depth historical documentation about the thought processes that carved the way to our current understanding of brain function…. This book would be a helpful guide to any high school student who needs ready comprehensive information in neuroscience from a historical perspective." Altman concluded that Origins of Neuroscience "is a must for anyone researching brain function or treating diseases of the nervous system."

Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries is Finger's close look at a selected group of neuroscientists, physiologists, clinicians, anatomists, and chemists who have made considerable contributions to modern science. He goes back in time to study Imhotep, an Egyptian high priest (c. 2600 B.C.), then continues with Hippocrates, Galen, Vesalius, Descartes, Willis, Gall, Broca, Ferrier, Hitzig, Charcot, Ramon y Cajal, and Sherrington. The final chapters, bringing the study into the twentieth century, focus on Adrian, Loewi and Dale, Sperry, and Levi-Montalcini. Christopher G. Goetz wrote in Journal of the American Medical Association that "each chapter covers a scientist's life and career in the context of both the social and scientific milieu of the epoch. Finger's breadth of historical and medical knowledge and keen rendering of personality traits lifts these scientists out of the past and brings them into the present with vibrancy and clarity." A Publishers Weekly reviewer reported that the depth of Finger's detail and explanation placed the book on a level "between academic and popular science writing," and concluded that it would be useful to readers with an interest in the history of science. "Finger describes the Zeitgeist that made the discoveries possible, alongside the story of each pioneer's life and work," remarked Laurie Bartolini in Library Journal. Booklist reviewer William Beatty noted that because Finger discusses the areas of research where future discoveries are likely to be made, "he adds to his fine book's motivational value; careers might be started by reading it."

In Doctor Franklin's Medicine, Finger explores the role that scientist, statesman, and inventor Benjamin Franklin played in the medical advancements of his era. Franklin helped establish the first civilian charity hospital and the first medical school in the American colonies, studied smallpox inoculation, promoted the benefits of exercise, advocated music therapy, investigated airborne contagions, informed the public about medical quackery, and sought a cure for the common cold and influenza. Additionally, Franklin crafted bifocal lenses and a "long arm" that extended a user's reach, and he gained insight into his own painful medical conditions, including gout and bladder stones. "As Finger conducts this fascinating tour of medical history, he enlivens the narrative with information that is often useful and always interesting," observed Barry W. Allen in American Scientist. What does the word ‘inoculation’ have to do with the eye? What is ‘small’ about smallpox? Why is gout so named? Numerous other fascinating anecdotes and little histories demonstrate a broad scholarship and an eclectic passion for knowledge. The book's extensive endnotes facilitate entry into both the primary literature of Franklin studies and the intellectual history of his time." A contributor on the Physorg.com Web site also praised the work, stating that the author "presents a colorful and context-rich analysis of Franklin's medical efforts." The critic added, "More than a simple listing of Franklin's medical contributions, Finger's latest book reveals what was theorized about health and disease early in the eighteenth century, and shows how Franklin strove to improve medicine with careful observations, actual experiments and hard data."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

American Historical Review, February, 2007, Renate Wilson, review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 188.

American Scientist, September 1, 2006, Barry W. Allen, "Reflected Light?," review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 469.

Appraisal: Science Books for Young People, spring, 1995, review of Origins of Neuroscience: A History of Explorations into Brain Function, pp. 21-22.

BioScience, March, 1995, Theodore Melnechuk, review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 215.

Booklist, February 1, 2000, William Beatty, review of Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries, p. 1001.

Choice, September, 1994, D.P. Kimble, review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 142; September, 2000, C.R. Timmons, review of Minds behind the Brain, p. 152.

Contemporary Psychology, November, 1983, Raymond P. Kesner, "Recovery from Brain Damage: Is There Hope?," pp. 839-840; April, 1986, John P. Bruno, "Age-Dependent Effects of Brain Damage: The Kennard Principle Revisited," p. 274.

Isis, March, 1995, review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 88; March, 2007, Margaret DeLacy, review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 181.

Journal of American History, March, 2007, Rebecca J. Tannenbaum, review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 1216.

Journal of the American Medical Association, August 23, 2000, Christopher G. Goetz, "Brain Pioneers," p. 1029; March 15, 2006, Jonathon Erlen, "Benjamin Franklin," p. 1314.

Library Journal, January, 2000, Laurie Bartolini, review of Minds behind the Brain, p. 150; January 1, 2006, Kathy Arsenault, review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 144; October 1, 2007, Lisa A. Ennis, "It's All in Your Head," review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 40.

Nature, March 30, 2000, Ian Glynn, review of Minds behind the Brain, p. 434; June 15, 2006, W.F. Bynum, "A Healthy Interest," p. 815.

New England Journal of Medicine, May 25, 2000, J. van Gijn, review of Minds behind the Brain, p. 1616; May 11, 2006, Joel D. Howell, review of Doctor Franklin's Medicine, p. 2081.

New Scientist, September 3, 1994, Jennifer Altman, "In Search of the Changeable Brain," review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 40.

Publishers Weekly, January 3, 2000, review of Minds behind the Brain, p. 68.

Reference & Research Book News, August, 1994, review of Origins of Neuroscience, p. 52.

Times Literary Supplement, May 16, 2003, Andrew Scull, "Cut through the Bone: Skull Surgery from the Iron Age to Modern Times," review of Trepanation: Discovery, History, Theory, p. 4.