390 Book Reviews, Notes and Comments which havecompletely differentproperties with noin- constituted from twocompletelydifferentdimensions, a dualistictheoreticalframework: thehumanbeingis the propertyofbrain).Both interpretationsassume approach (i.e.,themindisno morethantheproductor special stuff not-reducible to the brain); a materialistic istic andidealisticapproach(i.e., themindismadeofa within thegeneralconceptionofmind:anon-material- identity. Two avenues have been traditionally developed man mentalactivitiesastheelementpeculiartohuman cient Greeceonwardsphilosophershavefocusedonhu- roethics as a formally identified discipline [2].From an- particularly ,evenbeforethebirthofneu- and ethicshavebeenanobjectofinterestbyethicists, sues arisingfromtheinteractionbetweenneuroscience traced backtothebeginningof20thcentury[1],is- cluded. even ifimportant attention to foundational issues isin- or practicalneuroethics,ismorepresentinthebook, ed). Intheend,so-calledethicsofneuroscience, mind (butaspecificsectiononbrainimagingisinclud- brain astheprospectivewaytounderstanditandour as aspecificattentiononmodelingandsimulatingthe epistemic) reflection of islacking, as well conceptual assessmentofneuroethicsasacritical(i.e., of ethicsandneuroscience. Maybe a specific scription ofneuroethicsassumedbothasneuroscience and todateitissurelyoneofthemostcompletede- Neuroethics andSociety),withatotalof23sections, Aspects of Neuroethics; Special Issues in Neuroethics; philosophical, ethicalandsocialcategories. the impactofbrainandmindsciencesontraditional important exampleofmultidisciplinaryreflectionabout ars inthefieldofneuroethicsandneuroscience,isan and NeilLevy. Thebook,involvingmanyleadingschol- sive and importantcuesforananswerintherecentimpres- DOI: 10.4415/ANN_15_04_23 Federica NapolitaniCheyne Edited by B Ann IstSuperSanità2015 While thelabel“neuroethics”isquitenewandcanbe The bookisdividedinthreevolumes(Conceptual The question“Whatisneuroethics?”findsrelevant ook Handbook of Neuroethics edited by Jens Clausen R eviews

€ 749,00. ISBN 978-94-007-4706-7. 3 volumes, 1850p. Reference;Springer 2015 (Eds) Jens ClausenandNeilLevy OF NEUROETHICS HANDBOOK |

Vol. 51,No.4:390-393 , N , otes

a n d C cal neuroethics, whichinthewordsofGeorg Northoff , athirdpossible developmentisthat of theoreti- ethics. adequate fundamentalepistemological graspofneuro- tific languageandcategories onethics,i.e.,froman a theoreticalassessmentofthe impactofneuroscien- neuroscience canbedevelopedonlybybeginningfrom at leastamongthegeneralpublic.Yet aproper ethicsof seems tobethemostpopularmeaningofneuroethics, an “ethicsofneuroscience”.Anethicsneuroscience mind reading.Forthisreasonithasbeendefinedas tific applications,e.g.,,-detection,and the ethical implicationsofcontemporaryneuroscien- as a“neuroscienceofethics”.Thelatterfocuseson ness, andfreewill.Forthisreasonithasbeendefined ethical practice and concepts, e.g., identity, conscious- former concernstheimpactofneuroscienceonour practical orappliedneuroethicsiswellknown[1].The ceptual reconciliationofdissonantvisions[9]. needed sothatneuroethicsmaybetterdevelopacon- We wouldaddthataphilosophyofthebrainiswhat stressed andanalyzedintheHandbookofNeuroethics. between differentperspectives.Allthesepointsare complexity, asapossible common ground for adialogue and organization,i.e.,toitsplasticity, relationalityand a theoreticalapproachtothebrain’s formalelements ethical andneurophilosophicalreflectionsarestressing specific neuralorganization[8]. ral contentbutratheraspecificneuralform,orbetter cerebral areas. The question regards not a specific neu- they aretheresultofmutualinteractiondifferent terms cannotbeexactlylocatedinthebrainbecause cesses thatorganizetheexternalprocessesinrelational not explainable in reductionistic terms: the neural pro- an essential feature of the brain. This quality is as such cultural endeavors[6,7].Particularlyrelationalityis canbedevelopedasnon-reductionist Starting fromthisscientificpremise,neuroethicsand through hisownepigenetic,i.e.,cultural,influence[5]. nal endowment of thehuman being isdeeply shaped plasticity anditsrelationality:thegeneticneuro- shows thatthespecialfeatureofhumanbrainisits this direction.Contemporaryneuroscienceincreasingly the presentHandbookofNeuroethicsisanexamplein understanding emergingfromit[4].We cansaythat ence andbytheneuroethicalneurophilosophical tity isincreasinglycriticizedbycontemporaryneurosci- ophers [3],suchadualisticapproachtohumaniden- relationship proclaimed by some contemporary philos- mediated solelybyanexternalelement. terrelations betweenthem,or, atmost,arelationship Besides thetwoaforementioned meaningsofneuro- The divisionbetweenfundamentalneuroethicsand Thus, atthebeginningof21stcentury, neuro- Despite areductiveinterpretationofthemind-brain omme n ts 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. R ence saysbutrathertryingtocriticallythinkaboutit. avoiding thetemptationtosimplyreferwhatneurosci- the knowledgeofbrainstartingfromneuroscience, ethical andneurophilosophicalreflectionistoincrease our practicesandsocieties.Theurgencyinneuro- to startfromthebraininorderunderstandourselves, book, allthesepointsseemtobeinlinewithit:weneed tool forrespectinghumandignity. such. Acomplexandplasticidentitygivesusanethical ta-cultural andmeta-ethicalpropertyofthehumanas i.e., ofrespectingthehumandignityassumedasame- neuroscience andwiththeneedofkeepinghuman, being seemsinlinebothwithrecentdevelopmentsof encouraged. Anon-reductionistapproachtothehuman perspective adialoguebetweendifferentvaluesmaybe brain andmindwithinabiosocialframework:inthis developmental perspective which locates the human of neurosciencethereemergesanevolutionaryand roethics thatisadoptedasameta-scientificassessment results, possibilitiesanduncertainties[12].Fromaneu- roscience, i.e.,acriticalreflectionaboutitspremises, neuroethics isasanepistemologicalassessmentofneu- ent perspectives,apotentiallyfruitfuldeclinationof Thus, inordertoimprovethedialoguebetweendiffer ways theresultofsocialmediationandconstruction. a positivistobjectivity. Scientificknowledgeisinsome have shownthatsciencecannotbeexplainedsolelyby [11], theepistemologicalstudiesof20thcentury language. AsrecentlyoutlinedbyCriticalNeuroscience extra-scientific premisesandimpactofneuroscientific Generally speaking,whatisincreasinglystressedthe ethics therebypromotinganinterdisciplinaryapproach. on themutualrelationship between neuroscienceand cept inquestion?” [10]. Theoreticalneuroethics focuses ence ofethicsimpactthedefinitionethicalcon- findings in both ethics of neuroscience and neurosci- tion ofitsneuralcorrelates?Andhowdotheempirical in neuroscienceandthestudydesignsforinvestiga- ethics, impactboththepracticalissuesofitsapplication ular ethicalconcept,whichwaspresupposedinneuro- focuses onthefollowingquestions:“Howdoesapartic- eferences Even thoughnotallexplicitlyassessedinthepresent Northoff G.Mindingthebrain. Aguidetophilosophyand concept ofthebrain. AmJBioethics2009;9(9):27-8. brain? Empiricalandethicalimplications ofarelational Northoff G.Whatarethesubjective processesinour ics. AmJBioethics2009;9(9):5. Gillett GR.Thesubjectivebrain, identityandneuroeth- tity andneuroethics.Exeter, UK:ImprintAcademic; 2009. Gillett GR.Subjectivityandbeingsomebody:Human iden- University Press;2009. Changeux JP. Éditions OdileJacob;2009. Evers K.Neuroéthique.Quandlamatières’éveille.Paris: of themind-brain.Cambridge,Mass.:MITPress;1986. Churchland P. Neurophilosophy:Toward aunifiedscience EMBO reports2007;8(1S):48-51. velop theoretical frameworks forapplied neuroethics. formed materialistviewofthebrainmighthelptode- Evers K. Towards a philosophy for neuroethics. An in- 2002;35:21-3. Roskies A.Neuroethicsforthenewmillenium.Neuron The physiology of truth.Harvard: Harvard - trends inhealthconditionsand behaviours. that guidesurveys’implementation arecommon. pects atthesametime.Nevertheless, themaincriteria lar aspectofhealth,whileothers considerseveralas- gies, sampledesign.Somesurveysfocusononeparticu- by healthsurveys. dence, development,andimpactofhealthconditions. Health careconditionsandutilizationaffecttheinci- ditions, socialcharacteristics,individualbehaviours. and includeenvironmentalexposure,economiccon- Also riskfactorsanddeterminantsofhealtharevaried cators andmethodologiesforadequatemeasurement. aspects. Thiscomplexconstructrequiresmultipleindi- ponents, fromthephysiologicstatustopsycho-social cial component: health conditions include many com- of healthandcare. to conductresearchondeterminantsandconsequences also toinformpolicies,regulations,andlegislation duct, andevaluatepublichealthprograms.Itiscrucial care conditions and utilization is essential to plan, con- 12. 11. 10. ganizes and summarizes current knowledge regarding The Evidence-based methods are crucial to monitor Surveys differincontents,datacollectionmethodolo- Most oftheinformationonthesetopicsiscollected Health isacomplexphenomenonwithlargeso- Information onhealthconditions,riskfactors,health- roscience 2014;5(2):20-52. Farisco M.Inneedofmeta-scientific experts? Chichester: Wiley &SonsLtd;2012. handbook ofthesocialandculturalcontextsneuroscience. Choudhury S,SlabyJ,editors.Criticalneuroscience.A cal neuroethics.CurrOpinPsichiatry2009;22(6):567. Northoff G.Whatisneuroethics?Empiricalandtheoreti- grave Macmillan;2014. neuroscience. Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire:Pal- Handbook ofHealth SurveyMethodscollects,or Centre forResearchEthicsandBioethics, Uppsala University, Uppsala,Sweden $ 150,00. ISBN: 978-1118002322 816 +xxivp. Hoboken, NJ: 2015. Wiley; Timothy P. Johnson(Ed.). SURVEY METHODS HANDBOOK OFHEALTH [email protected] Michele Farisco AJOB Neu- -

391 Book Reviews, Notes and Comments 392 Book Reviews, Notes and Comments one dealswithhealthsurveys. book willcertainlyemergeasessentialreadingforany- book anextremelyvaluableresource:thenewhand- veys. researchers and practitioners who deal with health sur ful instructionstothechallengesfacedbypublichealth sive andbalancedsetofchaptersprovideinsight- disease aetiology. rates acrosscountriescanbeusedalsotounderstand to advancehealthstatus.Moreover, variationindisease health surveys of other countries to improve strategies countries: policymakersandhealthprogramscanuse comparing healthstatusandcaresystemsacross devoted toit).Nowadaysthereisagreatinterestin tural dimension is also considered (a chapter is entirely performed inlessdevelopedcountries.Yet, cross-cul- have benefited fromawider analysisof healthsurveys and confidentiality. Probably the book would refers mainlytothefederallawaboutinformedconsent, ethical considerationsincollectinghealthsurveydata United Statessituation.Forexample,thechapteron quiry, joining biomedical,socialandlifesciences. focus ondiseasestothecomplementaryscientificen- field ofpublichealthhasgonebeyondthebiomedical mensional characteroftheissue:inlastdecades fields andpopulations. are describedbothatthegenerallevelandinspecific participants, datalinkageandmanyotherdesignissues tical resolution. cepts, examinestheirimplicationsandprovidesaprac- and analysis. surveys ofspecialpopulations,andDatamanagement pling issues,MeasurementFieldHealth ters arecollectedintofivesections:Designandsam- methods overthelasttwocenturies,followingchap- view oftheevolutionanddevelopmenthealthsurvey health survey experts.After a chapter offering anover into asinglebook. the designandconductofquantitativehealthsurveys The extensive and analytical coverage will make the The Editorhasassembledaremarkablycomprehen- Some chapters seem based predominantly on the The extent of the topics is significant of the multidi- Sample design,modesofdatacollection,selection Each chapterillustratestheproblem,definescon- The volumeisorganizedinto29chapters,by54 Istituto SuperiorediSanità,Rome,Italy [email protected] Carlo Petrini - - of ourlives,everydayindifferent contexts. tance betweenusandcreatures whicharesomuchpart other animals. views, from different disciplines, our relationship with stead, isacollectionoflittleessaysdiscussingdifferent taining andinformative. mittees tohaveagoodlookatit.Itisbothveryenter one involvedinanimalresearchorbioethicalcom- deserves readingbyawideaudience,butweadviceany- shy ofventuringinareasoutsidescience.Thisnewbook with hisusualcharmingstyle,fullofexamplesandnot of ourmorality. Inthisbook,hereturnsontopic, human primatesaswitnessoftheevolutionaryorigins primatologist, whohasinspiredustothinkaboutnon- these interactions.FransdeWaal isthewordknown animals usedinresearchlaboratoriesisstillsignificant. the numberofpetshasincreased,and cedures. Animalsaremoreandpartofourlives: on theprotectionofanimalsusedinexperimentalpro- mals, andoneexampleistherecentEuropeanDirective is devotedtotherightsandwelfareofotherani- animals haschangedinthelastdecade.Moreattention Both booksareasignoftheneedtoshortendis- Leonardo CaffoandFeliceCimatti’s editedbook,in- These two books represent two different aspects of The relationshipbetweenhumanandnon-human Istituto SuperiorediSanità,Rome, Italy Aurelia Viglione andEnrico Alleva a bestiary ofsentiments] a bestiary [A asAnimal. Entriesfor € 13,00. ISBN 9788845278570. 2015. 320p. Bompiani; Milano: e Felice Cimatti (Eds). Leonardo Caffo DEI SENTIMENTI VOCI PERUNBESTIARIO A COME ANIMALE. the primates] in search ofhumanism among bonoboandtheatheist: [The € 28,00. ISBN 9788860306005. 2013. 334p. Editore;Raffello Cortina de Waal.Frans tra iprimati In cerca diumanità IL BONOBOEL’ATEO [email protected] - brain levelreportedlyaffectanimalbehaviourpatterns. animal species.Moreover, neurotoxicantsactingatthe reproductive capabilitiesofsensitive,thereforefragile, systems, damaging,inhibitingorcompletelystoppingthe neurotoxicants actingbothatthecentralandperipheral man healthofthesympatricpopulations. in themarineecosystem,oftoxicantsputtingatriskhu- “sentinel populations”,possiblyindicativeofpresence, trends foravarietyofspecies,whichmaywellrepresent monitoring the presence, absence, rarity and overall Superiore diSanità[1-3],thiscanbefullyexploitedfor ecotoxicologists. behavioural toxicologists and for both land and water sents astate-of-the-art report, which isveryuseful for the secondfornonanimalgeneraandspecies)repre- useful indices,thefirstforanimalgeneraandspecies, Regular monitoringand/orreportingofanecdotal In thepast,thishasbeencaseinparticularfor As wepreviouslyreportedintheAnnalidell’Istituto This opus magnum(828pages,equippedwithtwovery Italian sea] Italian of theflora and fauna inthe Mediterranean sea.Checklist [Marine biologyinthe II(p.parte 387-828) Vol. 17,suppl. 1,2010, Editoriali Genova: Erredi Grafiche (SIBM) di Biologia Marina Italiana Società Cosentino Prefazione diAldo MEDITERRANEA BIOLOGIA MARINA References ter wheninterestedinediblemarinespecies. health plannersandstudentsofzoogeography, thelat- shelf ofveterinarians,expertshumannutrition, in needofthemassiveinformationpresentedhere. human health,thereforepublichealthinstitutionsare listed in this book) may represent possible hazard for food chain(ahighnumberoftaxonomicgroupsareen- and majorneuropathologicalconditions. ing peopleandpatientsaffectedbyavarietyofminor pregnant women,fetuses,neonates,adolescents,age- particularly inthecaseofvulnerablesubjectssuchas ties ofagentspossiblynoxiousforthehumanbehaviour, and fruitfulstrategytodetectevenverysmallquanti- evidence ofabnormalbehavioursisanotherimportant 3. 2. 1. This volumeisfranklyrecommendedforthebook- Finally, anymarineanimalpenetratingthehuman Sanità 2008;44(2):187-94. of persistentorganicmicrocontaminants.AnnIstSuper swift (Apusapus),anaerialfeederbird,asabioindicator guez F, AllevaE,Di Domenico A.The use ofcommon Miniero R,CarereC,DeFelipE,IacovellaN,Rodri- 10.4415/ANN_10_01_10. chemicals. E. Bird populationsas sentinels of endocrine disrupting Carere C,CostantiniD,SoraceA,SantucciAlleva DOI: 10.4415/ANN_14_02_15 (Book review).AnnIstSuperSanità2014;50(2):199-201. zionamento degliecosistemimarini.RobertoDanovaro. Carere C,AllevaE.BiologiaMarina.Biodiversitàefun- 2 Groningen University(GBB-RUG),TheNetherlands Ann IstSupe.Sanità2010;46(1):81-8.DOI: 1 Istituto SuperiorediSanità,Rome,Italy Enrico Alleva [email protected] 1 andVirginia Todde [email protected] 2 393 Book Reviews, Notes and Comments