The Curious History of the Heart
A Cultural and Scientific Journey
New York : Columbia University Press, [2023]
Format: Book
Description: ix, 300 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
"This book traces the evolution of our understanding of the heart from the dawn of civilization 15,000 years ago to today. It examines how we humans have evolved our beliefs about the purpose of the heart to try to understand what life forces it contains. Throughout our history, the heart has played an important role for the poet, the philosopher, and the physician. Until modern times, the heart was considered the home of our emotions, thoughts, memories and the soul. The brain has now taken over as the center of our consciousness and feelings, even though the heart continues to play a central role in our cultural iconography. It is only recently that medical science is finding the heart may indeed hold feelings, and in fact, is part of a two-way "heart-brain connection." A new area of medical science called neurocardiology suggests the heart directs the brain as much as the brain directs the heart. This book chronologically examines how the once 'king' of the organs became dismissed as a mere mechanistic blood pump subservient to the brain, yet remains so central to our daily lives as a symbol of love and health. As a physician fascinated with this extraordinary organ, Vincent Michael Figueredo has included a section on how the heart works, heart diseases, and gender and racial/ethnic differences in heart disease. He explores advancements in heart therapies in modern times, and what the future may hold. What we are now learning shows our ancestors weren't so wrong about the heart after all. That is, the heart is a part of a two-way interaction with the brain, together ensuring our mental, spiritual, and physical health." [Provided by publisher].
Contents:
Introduction -- PART I. THE ANCIENT HEART: 1. The Heart Means Life -- 2. Heart and Soul -- 3. The Heart and God -- 4. An Emotional Heart -- 5. Ancient Understanding of the Physical Heart -- 6. Ancient Heart Disease -- PART II. THE HEART GOES INTO THE DARKNESS AND COMES OUT IN THE LIGHT: 7. The Dark Ages -- 8. The Islamic Golden Age -- 9. The Viking Cold Hjarta -- 10. American Heart Sacrifice -- 11. The Heart Renaissance -- 12. Hither and Thither -- PART III. HeART: 13. The Heart in Art -- 14. The Heart in Literature -- 15. The Heart in Music -- 16. Heart Rituals -- PART IV. HEART 101: 17. The Pump -- 18. Heart Anatomy -- 19. Heart Sounds -- 20. The Color of Blood -- 21. The Heart's Electrical System -- 22. What Is an EKG? -- 23. What Is Blood Pressure? -- 24. What Is Heart Failure? -- 25. What Is "Having a Coronary" -- 26. Sex, Race, and Ethnicity in Heart Disease -- 27. Sudden Death of an Athlete -- 28. The Word "Heart" -- PART V. THE MODERN HEART: 29. Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution -- 30. The Twentieth Century and Heart Disease -- 31. Aspirin -- 32. The Twentieth Century and Heart Surgery -- 33. The Heart Now -- 34. Broken Heart Syndrome -- 35. The Heart-Brain Connection -- 36. The Future Heart -- Afterword
ISBN:
9780231208185
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
SCIENCE Human Fig | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | Out (Due: 5/13/2024) |