Candidates for qualifying examinations and higher diplomas dread that they will be allocated a neurological 'Iong case'. This is a serious reflection on the adequacy of training in neurology. It is still possible in some medical schools for a student to go through the entire clinical course without an attachment to the neurological unit. Increasing competition for teaching time has led to the situation where in most US medical schools, and at least one new medical school in the UK, a two-week c1inical attachment to the neurology service is considered adequate. Those fortunate enough to attend a postgraduate course find a minimum of 3 months' intensive training is necessary before any confidence in tackling a neurological problem is achieved. Unfortunately, neurological textbooks seldom seem to recognize the intensely practical nature of the subject. There are many short texts that achieve brevity by the exclusion of explanatory material; these are difficult to read and digest. At the opposite extreme are the neurological compendia, often unbalanced by excessive coverage of rare diseases and all based on the assumption that patients announce on arrival that they have a demyelinating, heredofamilial, neoplastic etc. disorder. These texts are useful only to those who already have a good working knowledge of neurological diseases.

    James sees the individual soul as part of a greater soul, hidden behind the veil of death. And that greater soul, perhaps God, perhaps an essence that defies description, is eternal. James brings together modern science and mysticism to show his audience that the two are not as incompatible as they might have believed. Spiritual seekers, religious individuals, and even skeptics will find this discussion on the possibility of immortality thought-provoking and electric. American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University and one of the most popular thinkers of the 19th century. Among his many works are Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902).

    which can improve emotional communication and lead to a profound sense of well-being.