As well as being a great scientist Cajal was also an excellent writer. The personal anecdotes he gives in his autobiography are what make it so great. Cajal tells his life story in a way that holds the reader's attention through all of his accomplishments. Cajal's early life, before he left his mark in the scientific world, is so personal and so interesting that it is what makes this book so truly great to read.

Cajal was not always interested in science. He underwent many changes in his early life that led him down the path that eventually made him a Noble Prize winner. He came from a modest background. His father was a modest surgeon in a very small village in the Spanish countryside. Cajal owes his excellent work ethic to h

Cajal shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in medicine for his discoveries pertaining to neuro staining. This was a great honor for him, but the modest Cajal did not believed it was an honor that he deserved. He did not want the added attention that went with being a Nobel Prize winner. It was especially stressful for him because he was the first histologist to win the prize for medicine. Consequently, Cajal spent much of the rest of his life giving lectures and teaching rather than doing independent work. Cajal continued to do groundbreaking work, but he did not ever equal the recognition he received for his nervous system staining technique.

Cajal divides his autobiography into two parts, and this is where the second half begins. It is hard for the reader to identify as strongly with Cajal the scientist as with Cajal the rascal. As an adult we hear no more tales of mischievous exploits, but rather get highly descriptive scientific facts. Maybe when I am older and can appreciate the subdued life of the responsible Cajal as much as the exciting life of young Cajal, I will reread this book and have a new impression of it.

Cajal was not to be a barbershop apprentice for long. Again he established himself as a terror in his new environment. His ability with the sling once again got him into trouble with the law. Another of my favorite anecdotes in this book is Cajal's encounter with local police who tried to stop a fight between Cajal's friends, and an enemy group of boys. Cajal is not willing to submit to the four sword-bearing police officers. Instead he flees and uses his sling to fight back. Cajal makes a narrow exciting escape. Cajal is such a great storyteller that he makes the reader support him even when he is breaking the law.

Justo Cajal made a harsh decision in punishing his son. Santiago Ramon y Cajal was to become a barber's apprentice in a new location while continuing his studies. This may seem a little odd to the modern reader, but Cajal is excellent in explaining his life to the reader. A barber was more like a doctor than the modern haircutting barber is. Being a barber's apprentice was a positive thing for Cajal because it created his interest in medicine that was to stick with him for the rest of his life.

Cajal was growing intellectually in his new environment. He began to show an interest in reading great Spanish novels such as Don Quixote. In his early life, reading such novels was regarded by his father to be idle and therefore forbidden pleasures. Cajal's newfound interest in reading stuck with him for the rest of his life, and became more important as he entered the field of science.

His father however, would not allow him to pursue such idle and useless practices. Justo Cajal did not see art as worthwhile and would not allow his son to pursue it. Ramon Cajal would not give up art that easily. He continued to draw; now it had to be in secret because his father would not allow him to draw in the house. Cajal was a man who was committed to his work through his entire life. He began a large color scale including watercolors of a specific shade, and then a drawing containing that color. He spent a large part of a year completing this work. This great undertaking led him into many troublesome adventures.

Santiago Ramon y Cajal the scientist led a great life, but it was Santiago Ramon y Cajal the young man who left a lasting impression on me. Cajal's anecdotes are entertaining and insightful. The reader follows his life and sees how his experiences help him develop as a man. Cajal is someone that I admire. He was talented in many fields and professions; he would have made a fine shoemaker or Barber had he stuck with it. He refused to be second best at anything. He had determination and incredible insights into how the world functions. Cajal's desire to learn as a young man make him a great scientist as an older man. As well as being a great scientist and an interesting pers

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Approximate Word count = 3568
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)