The Matter of the Heart
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The Matter of the Heart by Thomas Morris
An eye-opening and heroic story of pioneering heart surgeons, structured around eleven operations.
For thousands of years the human heart remained the deepest of mysteries; both home to the soul and an organ too complex to touch, let alone operate on.
Then, in the late nineteenth century, medics began going where no one had dared go before. The following decades saw the mysteries of the heart exposed, thanks to pioneering surgeons, brave patients and even sacrificial dogs.
In eleven landmark operations, Thomas Morris tells us stories of triumph, reckless bravery, swaggering arrogance, jealousy and rivalry, and incredible ingenuity: the trail-blazing 'blue baby' procedure that transformed wheezing infants into pink, healthy children; the first human heart transplant, which made headline news around the globe. And yet the heart still feels sacred: just before the operation to fit one of the first artificial hearts, the patient's wife asked the surgeon if he would still be able to love her.
The Matter of the Heart gives us a view over the surgeon's shoulder, showing us the heart's inner workings and failings. It describes both a human story and a history of risk-taking that has ultimately saved millions of lives.
Thomas Morris worked for the BBC for many years as a successful radio producer, with a particular interest in scientific and medical topics. He is now a freelance writer, and his journalism has appeared in outlets including The Times and The Financial Times. He lives in London.
Thomas is the author of The Matter of the Heart: A History of the Heart in Eleven Operations.SKU | Unavailable |
ISBN 13 | 9781250117168 |
ISBN 10 | 125011716X |
Title | The Matter of the Heart |
Author | Thomas Morris |
Condition | Unavailable |
Binding Type | Hardback |
Publisher | St Martin's Press |
Year published | 2018-01-16 |
Number of pages | 432 |
Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
Note | Unavailable |