ThebestsellingauthorofInternandDoctoredtellsthestoryofthethingthatmakesustickForcenturies,thehumanheartseemedbeyondourunderstanding:aninscrutableshudderingmassthatwassomehowthedriverofemotionandtheseatofthesoul.AsthecardiologistandbestsellingauthorSandeepJauharshowsinHeart:AHistory,itwasonlyrecentlythatwedemolishedage-oldtaboosanddevisedthetransformativeproceduresthathavechangedthewaywelive.Deftlyalternatingbetweenkeyhistoricalepisodesandhisownwork,Jauhartellsthecolorfulandlittle-knownstoryofthedoctorswhoriskedtheircareersandthepatientswhoriskedtheirlivestoknowandhealourmostvitalorgan.HeintroducesustoDanielHaleWilliams,theAfricanAmericandoctorwhoperformedtheworld’sfirstopenheartsurgeryinGildedAgeChicago.WemeetC.WaltonLillehei,whoconnectedapatient’scirculatorysystemtoahealthydonor’s,pavingthewayfortheheart-lungmachine.AndweencounterWilsonGreatbatch,whosavedmillionsbyinventingthepacemaker--byaccident.Jauhardeftlybraidsthesetalesofdiscovery,hubris,andsorrowwithmovingaccountsofhisfamily’shistoryofheartailmentsandthepatientshe’streatedovermanyyears.Healsoconfrontsthelimitsofmedicaltechnology,arguingthatfutureprogresswilldependmoreonhowwechoosetolivethanonthedevicesweinvent.Affecting,engaging,andbeautifullywritten,Heart:AHistorytakesthefullmeasureoftheonlyorganthatcanmoveitself.
