1. Find the total taking only history:

* Students taking history: 22

* Students taking both: 8

* Students taking only history: 22 - 8 = 14

2. Find the total taking only biology:

* Students taking biology: 17

* Students taking both: 8

* Students taking only biology: 17 - 8 = 9

3. Find the total taking history or biology:

* Students taking only history: 14

* Students taking only biology: 9

* Students taking both: 8

* Total taking history or biology: 14 + 9 + 8 = 31

4. Find the total taking neither:

* Total students: 42

* Students taking history or biology: 31

* Students taking neither: 42 - 31 = 11

Answer: 11 students take neither history nor biology.