Understanding Pain

Fernando Cervero's unique ability to provide an understanding of the complex experience of pain will be appreciated by everyone. He integrates historical perspectives with useful anecdotes that contribute to understanding pain relative to personal experience. Noteworthy is his immensely readable chapter on pain hypersensitivity, which explains complex molecular and cellular changes leading to abnormal painful experiences that result in maladaptable behavior. Cervero correctly emphasizes that pain after injury is 'unnecessary and avoidable' and not merely a symptom, but a disease in itself, and must be treated.

Ronald Dubner, Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry

Fernando Cervero has written an up-to-date introduction to the science of pain. His language is concise and his coverage of topics is broad and placed in historical perspective. Non-specialists will find in this book a readable, accessible and informative entry to the major questions and key discoveries that have broadened our understanding of pain.

Howard Fields, Professor of Neurology; Director, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of California, San Francisco

In a straightforward but nevertheless fascinating way, Fernando Cervero, an excellent pain researcher and a superb writer, unravels the many well known facts as well as the just as numerous mysteries of pain. In comparison to our classical five senses, pain is a very different one indeed. Although it shares quite a number of features with those of the other sensory modalities, it has even more features which have no counterpart.

Robert F. Schmidt, University of Würzburg

In Understanding Pain, Fernando Cervero... gives a remarkably lively tour of what we do know... Cervero provides a rich and historical backdrop, and layers his explanations with colourful metaphors and relatable examples.

Samantha Murphy

New Scientist

This is an enjoyable and thought-provoking work, written in an accessible style that will be welcomed by those who are interested in the discipline of pain and have some background knowledge in neuroscience.

Gila Moalem-Taylor

Times Higher Education

All throughout Understanding Pain Fernando Cervero illustrates the biological enigma that is pain through the use of carefully chosen anecdotes, and patients' descriptions of their symptoms. The book provides a comprehensive and accessible review of the neurobiological basis of pain perception, and will be of interest to both pain researchers and the reader with a general interest in pain.

Jonathon Brooks

Perception