Santiago Cajal was the Nobel Prize winner of Medicine in 1906 (along with Camillo Golgi). A brilliant artist whose drawings still grace many textbooks of neuroscience, Cajal was also an excellent photographer. He authored a book on colour photography and was also a talented writer of Spanish literature. A warm family man, Cajal was a loving husband and father ***. Cajal the rebellious teenager, once apprenticed to a cobbler in an effort to tame him, became an inspiring teacher and mentor.

'The advice for a young investigator', his brilliant and popular work, is characterized by a pleasing, humorous style. Its words of advice seem extremely relevant for a young person embarking on any career, not just science. Cajal's incisive and witty comments are spread throughout the book like pearls that shine and sparkle.

His comparison of men and books is striking. Just as with men, he says, we admire and respect books for their good qualities; but we can only love them for certain faults. As a manager, to be seen as a humane, normal person is probably as relevant as being efficient in one's job. The need to sharpen the mind by keeping abreast of all developments in related fields of one's work, without losing focus of the specialty needed for the job in hand, is highlighted herein. The constant learning would also strengthen the resolve. Passion for one's vocation is equally relevant in management as it is in science. Cajal himself was the living example of immense zeal applied to great ideas, which he says results in outstanding work in art as well as science.(And surely in management!)

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* Advice for a Young Investigator, Dr. Santiago Ramo'n Cajal (1852-1934), 4th Edition, Translated from Spanish by Neely and Larry Swanson, MIT Press, 1999.
** Quotation Courtesy: Shri. Natwar Singh, "Heart to Heart", Rupa and Co, 2003.
*** Information on Cajal's family and apprenticeship from the net.