I am a Neuroscience Ph.D. Student and I am starting my dissertation research now that my proposal is complete and I would like to know what others consider to be the best introduction to learning electrophysiology (whole-cell recording and extracellular field potential recording). I have a large number of textbooks available to me through my lab and I find that their materials are either far too technical. I find the theory explained in 'Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology' to be a great introduction but there is a lot left to be desired...
1) No textbooks really cover field potential recordings. What does it mean to record fEPSPs, paired-pulse facilitation/depression, why in some synapses does one happen but not the other, why do we use multiple tetani as opposed to one for certain LTP paradigms (I know some of these are empirical, but for PPF, for example, I have not been able to find the reference that first demonstrated that increased presynaptic Ca2+ entry is responsible for this phenomenon, I am just told this by faculty).
2) I haven't found a textbook that discusses simple concepts like why people use certain internal solutions, borosilicate glass for their pipettes, why people use certain formulations in their aCSF, etc (while I know the answers to several of these examples, I often find they are not from the literature/textbooks but because that is what I was told without any backup. A practice I find common amongst electrophysiologists..., "I cut the brain this way, and that's why it works."
3) I also find textbooks lack simple technical explanations for when you're actually getting ready to do hands on work; e.g. Why do we apply a small depolarizing current when attempting to rupture the cell membrane while applying suction? Again, I would like some primary literature discussing this and/or reviews/textbooks that provide more comprehensive discussions.

I was asked to read this during a lab rotation for why we use filaments in our glass pipettes and wanted to die: http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Micropipette-Techniques-Cell-Physiology/dp/0471909521. This was WAY too technical, not to mention irrelevant given a large number of the topics discussed in the textbook are no longer used today (e.g. Using diamond dust to sharpen you pipette).

Anywho, I would greatly appreciate some direction as my PhD program does not offer an ephys course nor does it discuss the topic in any depth (we literally had 2 lectures on the entire topic across 2 years of coursework).

I would appreciate any opinions on what you all consider to be the dominant textbooks for learning extracellular and patch-clamp recording. Thank you.