David Linden - Touch

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Acknowledgments

A reader will ask, “David, in your work on the sense of touch, do you find that—?”

And I sheepishly interject, “Um, well, actually …”

It’s a reasonable inference. I’m a brain researcher and I wrote a book about touch, so it’s natural to assume that I study the biology of touch in my lab. Actually, that’s not the case. My lab works on lots of cool things ranging from memory to exercise to recovery of function after brain injury. But I’m not a touch researcher. Rather, I’m an ambassador from the nation of neuroscience, here to pass along the good word from the deep interior of the continent. In fact, ambassador is too lofty a title. Really, I wrote this book because over the years I have become an unabashed fanboy of touch research, starting at my academic home, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I first became intrigued by the pioneering work of Steven Hsiao and Kenneth Johnson (both disciples of the legendary touch researcher Vernon Mountcastle) on the neural basis of texture and form discrimination. Then the beautiful and rigorous experiments of David Ginty and his colleagues on the molecular identification of fine touch receptors opened a whole new level of analysis of tactile sensation, as did the molecular and genetic insights of Michael Caterina and Xinzhong Dong on the topics of pain, temperature, and itch. And recently, work of the young scientist Daniel O’Connor seeks to bridge the gap between touch sense and decisions. I am indebted to the home team, these brilliant, creative, and kind researchers, for firing me up about this fascinating topic. I’ve also received lots of encouragement and advice from the broader community of touch researchers around the world. Thanks to all who took the time to chat in the hallways of meetings or answer late-night e-mails.

It’s always fun to have some experts in your corner. Steven Hsiao, Sascha du Lac, Daniel O’Connor, Michael Caterina, David Ginty, and Xinzhong Dong went above and beyond the call of duty to engage carefully and constructively with my early manuscript drafts. I am also indebted to my lay readers who pushed for greater clarity, let me know when things got too nerdy, and rightfully insisted that I cut some of the lamest and most offensive anecdotes (they can’t be blamed for the ones that remain). A huge shout-out is due Marion Winik, Kate Sanford, John Lane, and Laura Coleson-Schreur.

I give a deep bow to the publishing pros. Once again, Joan Tycko has contributed lovely and clear illustrations. Rick Kot, a gentleman among editors, has wielded his scalpel, retractor, and probe with grace and sensitivity. Rimjhim Dey may be the best publicist in the world: She’s whip smart and has the amazing ability to make people feel happy and important while she’s badgering them. I really don’t understand how she does it. To Andrew Wylie, Luke Ingram, and the crew at the Wylie Agency—thank you all for having my back.

While in one sense, the origin of this book may be found in the seminar rooms of Johns Hopkins, in another, it lies in the realm of my own somatic experience. Thanks to Z. for years of transformative loving touch and to my tactile twins, Natalie and Jacob, who started hugging at birth and have, thankfully, never stopped.

THE BEGINNING

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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC 2015

Published in Great Britain by Viking 2015

Copyright © David J. Linden, 2015

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Illustration credits appear adjacent to the respective image. Illustrations without credits are by Joan M. K. Tycko; copyright © David J. Linden, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-241-18405-9