For much of recorded history, people considered the heart to be the most
important organ in the body. In cultures around the world, the heart-not
the brain-was believed to be the location of intelligence, memory,
emotion, and the soul. Over time, views on the purpose of the heart have
transformed as people sought to understand the life forces it contains.
Modern medicine and science dismissed what was once the king of the
organs as a mere blood pump subservient to the brain, yet the heart
remains a potent symbol of love and health and an important part of our
cultural iconography.
This book traces the evolution of our understanding of the heart from
the dawn of civilization to the present. Vincent M. Figueredo-an
accomplished cardiologist and expert on the history of the human
heart-explores the role and significance of the heart in art, culture,
religion, philosophy, and science across time and place. He examines how
the heart really works, its many meanings in our emotional and daily
lives, and what cutting-edge science is teaching us about this
remarkable organ. Figueredo considers the science of heart disease,
recent advancements in heart therapies, and what the future may hold. He
highlights the emerging field of neurocardiology, which has found
evidence of a "heart-brain connection" in mental and physical health,
suggesting that ancient views hold more truth than moderns suspect.
Ranging widely and deeply throughout human history, this book sheds new
light on why the heart remains so central to our sense of self.
