La curiosa historia del corazón: Un viaje cultural y científico / The Curious History of the Heart: A Cultural and Scientific Journey

by Vincent M. Figueredo

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.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Medicine, Medical, Audiobook

296 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

Briefly:

Vincent M. Figueredo has been a practicing cardiologist and physician-scientist for thirty years. His experience spans academic medicine, medical research, teaching, private practice, and senior hospital administration, including as chair of cardiology and professor of medicine. Figueredo’s research interests include how the heart responds to injury, alcohol, and stress.


In more detail:

Vincent M. Figueredo MD has been a practicing cardiologist and physician-scientist for nearly 30 years. Throughout his career, while taking care of hearts, Dr. Figueredo has continued to study the heart, trying to understand how it responds to injury, alcohol and stress.

A recipient of 25 grants and a patent to understand heart disease, improve diagnostic heart imaging, and develop effective treatments for cardiovascular disease, Dr. Figueredo has worked with and taught students, residents and colleagues for over 3 decades. Recognized as a ‘Top Doctor’ by his peers, he has also been a recipient of multiple teaching awards.

Dr. Figueredo has held numerous leadership positions throughout his career in academia and private practice, including chair of cardiology and vice chair of medicine, professor of medicine, program director for cardiovascular diseases fellowships, and director of the cardiac intensive care unit. He has directed cardiac rehabilitation programs, a lipid management program, a cardiology genetics clinic, and a resistant hypertension clinic.

A former Pennsylvania governor for the American College of Cardiology and past-president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania American Heart Association board, Dr. Figueredo has also been a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Figueredo has published over 200 scientific papers in the medical literature and is a reviewer for numerous medical and scientific journals. Some recent, relevant publications by Dr. Figueredo include:

1. The Ancient Heart: What the Heart Meant to Our Ancestors. J Am College Cardiol. 2021;78(9):957-959.
2. Women in Leadership Positions in Academic Cardiology: A Study of Program Directors and Division Chiefs. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2019;28(2):225-232.
3. Sex Differences in Authorship of Academic Cardiology Literature Over the Last 2 Decades. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(6):681-685.
4. Impact of cigarette taxes on smoking prevalence from 2001-2015: A report using the Behavioral and Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). PLoS One. 2018;13(9):e0204416.
5. National trends in hospitalizations and outcomes in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Clin Cardiol. 2018;41(11):1423-1429.
6. Marital status and living condition as predictors of mortality and readmissions among African Americans with heart failure. Int J Cardiol. 2016;222:313-318.
7. Heart failure and the holidays. Clin Res Cardiol. 2016;105(10):865-72.
8. Racial and ethnic differences in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy presentation and outcomes. Int J Cardiol. 2015;194:100-3.
9. Infective Endocarditis Epidemiology Over Five Decades: A Systematic Review. PLoS ONE 2013;8(12):e82665.
10. Meditation: Should a cardiologist care? Int J Cardiol. 2013;168(3):1805-10.
11. Alcohol and the heart: To abstain or not to abstain? Int J Cardiol. 2013;164(3):267-76.
12. Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: A Review. J Card Fail. 2011;17(10):844-9.
13. Chemical Cardiomyopathies: The Negative Effects of Medications and Non-Prescribed Drugs on the Heart. Am J Med. 2011;8(4):233-7.
14. The time has come for physicians to take notice: the impact of psychosocial stressors on the heart. Am J Med. 2009;122(8):704-12.

Vince Figueredo lives outside of Philadelphia on Five Fig Farm with his wife Ann, surrounded by dogs, chickens, beehives, vegetable gardens, and rescued donkeys.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, answer this question without Googling: which organ did we think was the seat of emotions, cognition, and even the soul for most of the history of humanity? If your answer was: the brain, you need to read books like this one. If you answered: the heart, you deserve a treat for being so good at trivia.

For us in the modern era, with all the knowledge and high-res imaging we have of the brain, it's hard to envision any other organ than this being the chief one, the headquarters, the important hub that controls and manages the rest of the body. But up till the 17th century, the heart had the position the brain holds now. And it hasn't lost it, not entirely.

Think of our language. Do you say "I love you with all my brain"? No, you love with all your heart. So many words and expressions about emotions and feelings and cognition still place the heart at the centre: heartless, heartwarming, hard-hearted, heartthrob, heartbreak, heartfelt, heartache, cold-hearted, disheartened, softhearted, heartsick, openhearted, kindhearted, halfhearted, stouthearted, chickenhearted, heavy-hearted, wholeheartedly, fainthearted . . . Metaphorically and symbolically, the heart remains King of the Organs today. When we point at ourselves to say "me," we don't point to the head; we point to the chest, where the heart is.

In this fascinating book, Dr Figueredo, an experienced cardiologist, tells the history of how the heart came to be regarded so highly for so long and why it's time to reconsider its current role as a mere pump with nothing else to it than a complicated mechanism to keep blood flowing around the body. In five well-organised chapters with subheaders and neatly divided by topic, he starts with the view in Classical Antiquity that was shaped majorly by Egyptian and Greek physicians, always keeping in mind that whilst this does mention other cultures like the Mesopotamian, Chinese, Mesoamerican tribes, Islam, etc., this is mainly focused on the West and Western medicine as well as the cultures that influenced the West's ideas and scientific theories on the heart. In Antiquity, the mainstream theory was cardiocentrism, which posited that the heart was where emotions and cognition originated, and where the soul inhabited, whilst the brain was just a mucus-producing organ. Later in Antiquity, there appeared cerebrocentrism, which gave the brain the place of originator of emotions and cognition. Hippocrates was the star of the cerebrocentrists and Aristotle of the cardiocentrists, a scientific dispute the latter won in the long run because his theories, elaborated on and perfected by the Romans and disseminated by the Catholic Church after the Fall of Rome, became the standard.

That was the most fascinating chapter for me personally. Then came the Middle Ages and Renaissance, which Figueredo deals with in the second chapter, talking about the progress made on the study of the heart, which mostly had to do with understanding its functions and physiology better thanks to more careful dissections, greater anatomical understanding and more accurate description of its physiology. The most interesting parts here are about the Renaissance, when artists had to go to dissections by physicians to understand anatomy better to paint or sculpt the human body accurately, or even performed the dissections themselves. Leonardo da Vinci was one such artist that went to dissections and drew the human anatomy accurately; he's credited with being the first one to detect and describe atherosclerosis (cholesterol plaque hardening the heart's arteries). Like him, other artists did the same, which probably accounts for the beautiful and often wildly accurate art from the Renaissance.

But, this chapter is also where the more inaccuracies are. Not anatomical nor scientific, no, I have nothing to reproach the book for in that regard because it's written by someone who knows its subject inside and out, and far better than me, too. It's the historical inaccuracies that bothered me. Some minor, like the mistake of calling Chaucer "Gregory" when his name was Geoffrey, and some more significant like that scientific progress "stopped for a thousand years." I'm sorry, but this is a myth that's repeated over and over with little evidence if any, and so pervasive that it's pop culture knowledge everywhere and never challenged. No, scientific progress didn't just disappear when Rome fell and then magically reappeared in the Renaissance. That's not how history works, any history buff knows that. And that's not how scientific progress works either, and as a scientist, the author should've known. Scientific progress can slow down for a variety of reasons, sources like papers and laboratory logs and libraries can be destroyed, there might be little progress in one scientific field and impressive leaps of progress in another, etc., plus reputable historians have been saying for long that the Middle Ages weren't "dark" and that yes, there was scientific progress during the Middle Ages, more in number and quality than average readers (and most scientists with no formation in history) might be aware of. And besides, it's so easy-peasy and neat to lay the corpse at the feet of the Catholic Church, repeating the whole Galileo affair (which wasn't even during the Middle Ages and had politics involved that's conveniently ignored) as gospel. This book literally says the lack of scientific progress for a millennium was the Catholic Church's fault, which is an extraordinary claim and a very questionable one, but not new nor started by Figueredo, who's only repeating it (but in other parts of the book, he mentions scientific progress that took place in the Middle Ages, so...). The Catholic Church's list of sins is very long and atrocious, and documented enough, but stopping scientific progress for 1,000 years isn't one of them, and anyone that says so needs to at the very least provide very solid evidence, which isn't found here.

Chapters three and four are about the heart in art and facts about the heart and its functions as we know them today. From the former, the history of how we came to have the heart shape we all now use even in emojis came into existence was the most engrossing. The next chapter is basic biology of the heart, the kind you'd learn about in school, informative but not exactly very amenable. You'd think it should've been at the start of the book, but this is chronological and what's known about the heart and the tech & treatments we have now weren't known; it's all meant to show how far we've progressed, though it gets repetitive at times.

The last chapter recovers the book's engrossing factor again, at least for me. It's about modernity and the heart. The topic that caught my eye the most was the argument for a revision of the still common idea that the heart is just a blood pump. Here, Figueredo talks about those cases that make you think that perhaps the ancients had a point with all their theories about the heart being the seat of emotions and the soul, things like that lady who got the heart from a young boy in a transplant and acquired his tastes in food and such, or the phenomenon all elderly care nurses and doctors know well: lifelong couples dying within months, even days, of each other due to "heartbreak." (Incidentally, the heart can, in fact, be physically broken, from stress for example. Rare, but can happen, Dr Figueredo says). This heart-brain connection definitely does need to be reassessed, and hopefully it will as our understanding of how organs are interconnected and not isolated deepens.

It was an enjoyable read overall, I learnt a few things about my little heart.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning recently about the heart provokes a hush and silence---when discussed---in common circles of colleagues. Many recall acute experiences with a family member that endured a myocardial infarction. To many, the heart is just a mechanical pump controlled exclusively by the brain. And to others, it is the crimson symbol of love. But to a man who has structured his life around the heart, it's not just a meaningless organ. Vincent M. Figueredo, is a cardiologist. He explains the inner workings (from past to present) to assist us in our comprehension. This labor took him five years to write. Inside, we board a journey on an imaginary boat of human history tracing the evolution of our understanding of the heart; and its' meaning is to us---multi-disciplinary approach.

“Ancient civilizations conceived of gods or a single God to explain their existence and the creation of the universe. Most cultures believed God was inside each person; in their heart. For many, the way to connect with God was through their heart.”
—Vincent M. Figueredo

There is evidence of a heart-brain connection in both mental and physical health. Perhaps this congeals the ancient views of the heart having some relevance to being connected to the brain. The heart sends an equal amount of signals as it receives from the brain. Signals from the heart directly influence functioning in many parts of the brain---the medulla, hypothalamus, and the amygdala. The heart also affects the brain through hormones (love hormone oxytocin). The heart also influences the brain via rhythmic electromagnetic energy. A negative paradigm of this is arrhythmias, abnormal heart rhythms (causing anxiety/panic attacks). Positive signs include: meditation, mindfulness, singing, and feelings of compassion/appreciation to produce coherent, harmonious heart rhythms affecting brain processing of attention, motivation, pain centers, and emotion. There is a clear connection twixt the heart and brain.

[Lizzie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book! My mom is an Electrophysiology Nurse Practitioner and I enjoyed reading this and then discussing it with her after. This is a lovely overview of a wide range of topics related to the heart - from how we have understood the heart's role throughout time to the structure of the heart and the ethics/practicality of animal to human heart transplants. This was the kind of medical book, written by a practicing physician, that brings up awe about the complexity that goes into sustaining every moment of our lives. My only critique is that parts of this were a little repetitive, with the same information being given multiple times in almost identical format in different sections. I'm not sure if that will be fixed before the final version is released. Overall, a great book and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in medical nonfiction!

**Thanks so much to NetGalley, Dr. Figueredo, and Columbia University Press for this ARC!! The Curious History of the Heart will be available April 4th, 2023!**

[Fahad Saliem · Rating 4 out of 5]

عندما سمع أسلافنا من البشر البدائيين دقات قلوبهم لأول مرة، لم يفهموا حينها لماذا هذا الصوت يخرج من صدورهم على شكل دقات سريعة عند هروبهم من الضواري المتوحشة، وتخفت هذه الدقات في أوقات راحتهم. إذًا لا بد لهذا العضو أن يكون له تاريخ كبير، وهو ما يقدمه لنا طبيب القلب (فنسنت إم. فيجيريدو) في كتابه (التاريخ العجيب للقلب: رحلة في الثقافة والعلم)، حيث كانت البدايات الأولى لمحاولة فهم ماهية هذا العضو الذي تم تقديسه في الحضارات الغابرة بوصفه مركز الذكاء والذكريات والحب والعاطفة والغضب والحكمة، وهو المسؤول الأول عن تصرفاتنا، وفي داخله تكمن النفس البشرية بكل تناقضاتها وتجلياتها.

ساهمت هذه الاعتقادات القديمة في تقديس القلب وجعله بمثابة العضو الأهم في جسم الإنسان بخلاف كل الأعضاء الأخرى. ولكن عندما تقدمت الحضارات القديمة ووجدت وقتًا للتأمل والتدبر، قامت بطرح الأسئلة التالية: أين تتركز القدرات العقلية للإنسان، مثل الوعي والتفكير المنطقي، داخل الجسد؟ وأين يتواجد الجوهر اللامادي الحي للإنسان؟ ومن خلال هذه التساؤلات، ظهر أنصار مركزية القلب، ممن يعتقدون أنه هو من يؤوي النفس المسؤولة عن وعينا وعواطفنا وذكرياتنا. وكانت هذه الاعتقادات راسخة في الحضارات القديمة مثل حضارة بلاد وادي الرافدين وحضارة نهر النيل والصينيين القدامى والحضارة الهندية وبعض الإغريق والرومان. فلم يرد في البرديات للمصريين القدماء أي ذكر للدماغ إلا بوصفه العضو الذي ينتج المخاط من الأنف. أما فيما يتعلق بشؤون الحياة والموت، فكان كله من شأن القلب فقط.

ونجد كذلك هذه القداسة للقلب عند الحضارة الصينية القديمة، حينما اعتبرته إمبراطور الجسد وفيه يسكن العقل. أما عند الحضارة الهندية، فنجد أن الإله شيفا، الحامي ومدمر الشر ومجدد الكون والحياة، يتم تسميته سيد القلب، أما زوجته الإلهة بارفاتي فقد عُرفت باسم إلهة القلب. كانت المجتمعات القديمة، في العموم، تنظر إلى أن النفس البشرية تسكن في القلب. لم يكن القلب قديمًا مجرد مجموعة أفكار يُعتقد بها، بل أصبح ضحية تُقدَّم قربانًا لل��لهة عند بعض الشعوب، مثل شعب الأزتيك في وسط المكسيك، حيث كان يتم اختيار شاب وسيم المظهر ليكون إلهًا يُعبد بكل معنى الكلمة، فتمارس على هذا الشاب، الذي يرتدي زي إله شمس الصيف وسماء الليل، مجموعة من الطقوس البدائية طوال العام حتى يصل إلى المرحلة التي يصعد فيها على مذبح حجري في معبد هرمي، فيقوم أربعة من الكهنة بإمساك ساقيه وذراعيه، ويأتي الكاهن الخامس ليشق صدره وينتزع قلبه النابض بالحياة ويرفعه إلى السماء قربانًا من أجل هذا الإله، الذي بوسعه أن ينضج المحاصيل أو يرسل عليهم غضبه ليدمر موسمهم الزراعي.

وحينما بدأ مسار التطور الغربي، بداية من اليونان، ظهر التنافس بين أنصار فرضية أن النفس مركزها القلب وأنصار فرضية أن النفس مركزها الدماغ. ارتكز الفريق الأول على أقوال أرسطو قبل ٣٣٠ قبل الميلاد، حينما قال: "القلب هو كمال الكائن الحي ككل، وبذا فإن مبادئ القوة والإدراك وقوة النفس على تغذية نفسها، ينبغي أن تكمن جميعها في القلب". بينما اعتقد العديد من المفكرين الإغريق، أنصار الرأي الثاني، أن النفس موطنها الدماغ، وعلى رأسهم الطبيب المعروف أبقراط، وقبله ألكمايون الكروتوني في حوالي ٥٠٠ قبل الميلاد، عندما افترض أن السائل المنوي يتكون في الدماغ ويهبط عن طريق النخاع الشوكي. واتفق جالينوس، طبيب مصارعي حلبات روما الشهير، مع أرسطو على أن القلب هو مصدر حرارة الجسد، حيث يقوم بغلي الدم حتى يتحول من لونه الأرجواني إلى الأحمر أثناء تسخينه. سادت هذه الأفكار في الشرق من خلال الطب الصيني التقليدي والطب الشعبي الهندي المعروف بالآيورفيدا.

أما في الغرب، وعلى الرغم من تبني البعض لمركزية الدماغ مثل أبقراط وأفلاطون، إلا أن الكنيسة الكاثوليكية اعتبرت آراء أرسطو وجالينوس في هذا الموضوع كلامًا مقدسًا، وبالتالي ساد قبول عام بهذه الأفكار على امتداد الألف والخمسمائة اللاحقة من العصور الأوروبية المظلمة، واعتُبر كل مخالف لهذه المعتقدات منتهكًا لتعاليم الكنيسة. في الجانب الآخر، كان الأطباء المسلمون يتوسعون في فهم وقراءة نظريات قدامى الإغريق والرومان، فعملوا على نسخ النصوص الطبية القديمة التي أتلفتها الكنيسة الكاثوليكية في أوروبا. ويؤكد (فيجيريدو) أنه لولا الأطباء المسلمون، لفقدت أوروبا، على الأغلب، معارفها عن الطب والقلب تحديدًا التي تعود إلى ٤٠٠ قبل الميلاد، ولقامت النهضة الأوروبية من دون علوم سابقة تبني عليها علومها الطبية الحديثة. فكانت النصوص المترجمة إلى العربية هي السبيل الوحيد للأطباء الأوروبيين لبناء علومهم اللاحقة.

ومثل كل الثقافات الأخرى، نظر المسلمون إلى القلب على أنه مركز النوايا والعاطفة والمعرفة، وأن أمراض القلب مرتبطة بالخوف والغضب أو الذنوب والكفر. وكان الفيلسوف والطبيب المسلم أبو بكر الرازي أول من لاحظ مسؤولية القلب عن حالات الإغماء، واستخدم مصطلح الموت المفاجئ قبل حوالي ألف عام، فكتب عنه: "يحدث الموت المفاجئ حينما ينقبض القلب ولا يسترخي من جديد". بينما عُرف عن أبو علي الحسين، المشهور بابن سينا، والذي يلقبه الأوروبيون بأمير الأطباء، والذي اشتهر مؤلفه الكبير (القانون في الطب)، الذي كان المرجع الرئيسي للأطباء المسلمين والأوروبيين لأكثر من ستة قرون، أنه أول طبيب أوصى، في كتابه الآخر (رسالة في الأدوية القلبية)، بممارسة التمارين الرياضية بانتظام واتباع نظام غذائي صحي للوقاية من أمراض القلب.

ومع بداية انقشاع عصور الظلمات في أوروبا، بدأ التشكيك في النظريات القديمة عن القلب، المأخوذة عن الترجمات العربية المستندة في معظمها إلى آراء جالينوس وبعض الأفكار الأخرى لأرسطو وأبقراط. وبدأت النظريات والتجارب تتوسع بشكل أكبر، إلى أن اكتشف الطبيب الإنجليزي وليم هارفي الدورة الدموية عام ١٦١٥، ولكنه لم يستطع نشر تجاربه إلا عام ١٦٢٨ في فرانكفورت بألمانيا، بدلًا من إنجلترا، خوفًا من الكنيسة الكاثوليكية التي اعتبرت أي تشكيك في أفكار الطبيب جالينوس انتهاكًا للمقدسات. ومن خلال تجاربه السابقة على الحيوانات، اتضح لويليم هارفي أن القلب ليس إلا مضخة للدم، وليس له أي وظيفة أخرى، مثلما كان مترسخًا لقرون طويلة. ساعد هذا الاكتشاف على بناء نظرة جديدة لهذا العضو في القرون اللاحقة، مما استدعى نبذ كل الأفكار القديمة، وليهيمن عصر جديد على البشرية تطورت فيه الأبحاث والعلاجات عن قلوبنا المتعبة.

لتصبح مكانة القلب الحديث مختلفة تمامًا عن القلب القديم، من كونه مركز كل شيء إلى مجرد مضخة عضلية قوية، وعندما تتوقف، يموت الإنسان. وعلى الرغم من أن شكل القلب الحقيقي، الذي شاهده أسلافنا لأول مرة وحاولوا مقاربة رسمه، ما زال هو الرمز المستخدم اليوم في ملصقات هواتفنا وعلى جدران مستشفياتنا كدلالة على صحتنا الجيدة، ونرسمه في رسائلنا لأحبائنا كتعبير عن حبنا وامتناننا للآخرين، لا زلنا نضع يدنا على صدرنا إشارةً إلى تقديرنا واحترامنا النابع من هذا القلب الساكن في أعماقنا.

فهد سالم

[Meow558 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Curious History of the Heart by Vincent M. Figueredo is a fascinating book about the heart.
In this book, Figueredo covers many heart related topics. He goes over the history of knowledge of it, he goes over its symbolism over the centuries, he goes over how it and heart related illnesses work. He even discusses the etymology of many idioms about it.
A lot of this book was good. I like how much it covers, rather than just being a history book or just a science book. Figueredo also explains some things well. While at times it made me feel like a child, it was understandable. The greatest strength of this book was the science in the latter part of the book. As a cardiologist, Figueredo knows the heart, and this really shone through. I found these parts more interesting and easier to read.
However, there were many bad parts. Despite his many sources, there was some historical information that Figueredo got wrong, such as saying that there was no scientific progress during the "Dark Age" of Europe. While this is clearly a generalization, I think it could have been less absolute. My biggest issue was with the writing. A lot of information is repeated, almost word for word, which makes for a very confusing and annoying read. I also found that many of the sentences were short and the same size, which made the book seem drier and harder to read than it would be otherwise.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about all aspects of the heart in one book. However, if they are looking for a book about the history, I would supplement this book with another as well.
Thank you to Columbia University Press for this ARC on NetGalley.

[Maybach Visions · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is stronger than the human heart which shatters over and over, and still lives? - Rupi Kaur (Chapter 34)

As a pharmacist, i’ve developed an in-depth understanding of the heart as far as its functions, diseases and its related pharmacology. However, this book has completely revolutionised my understanding of the organ and cultivated a deep appreciation for its role.

Whether you believe the heart merely existing as a pump or as a seat for our emotions; this book spans its medical and cultural significance in humanity referring to many ideologies, religions and cultural landmarks. I particularly enjoyed the chapter regarding the heart-brain connection and how our own thoughts can lead to cardiovascular issues just like cigarette smoking.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who yearns for a greater understanding of the pump that never stops beating.

[Sinyee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written history and science lesson on the heart in its various shapes and forms. Includes pictures, diagrams, and good quotes!

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Younes Mowafak · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب خفيف لطيف.

[Asim A Jani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful book's multi-faceted historical, anthropological, scientific, and artistic descriptions of not only the heart itself, but of its preeminent place as a universal symbol makes this a unique book. The author - a renowned cardiologist and clinician-educator, spent years researching and archiving references that inform his own experience-derived perspectives on "the heart." He writes with fluidity and depth, connecting quickly with the reader and holding their attention throughout. He invites the reader into the many important dimensions of the heart in an organized approach: initially, presenting relevant historical facts, themes, and anecdotes; then offering captivating allusions to cultural, artistic, and musical aspects of the heart; followed by myriad relevant, concise, and clear explanations of cardiac anatomy and physiology, heart-related diseases and treatments; and finally offering insights related to "the modern heart" - touching on even future trends and innovations related to the heart. This is a terrific addition to many diverse kinds of libraries, serving a variety of readers - from the lay public to medical and nursing students, health care providers in practice, and many others from non-medical disciplines. A great gift book and capable of inspiring our collective imagination to learn so much more about this vital organ.... and its enormous relevance to our physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and relational lives.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read courtesy of NetGalley.

I am conflicted about this book. It has some really interesting points... but it also makes what I regard as some silly, and some egregious, historical mistakes. The author isn't a trained historian but he is writing about history so it really needed to not have those problems.

So. Firstly, in the timeline at the start, it says that someone 'discovered' the stethoscope. Uh, no. Maybe this is something that will be corrected before publication, but my copy doesn't say this is an uncorrected proof. Minor, I know, but annoying. Also minor but annoying is saying that the Greeks "began practising medicine around 700 BCE" (p47), because I'm pretty sure that people were medicating themselves and setting bones in the place we call Greece well before that date, even if they did see illness as divine punishment; Asclepius exists as a god before that time.

Less minor and more than annoying is Figueredo's insistence on the term "the Dark Ages", which he seems to use to cover the entirety of what is more usually called the Middle Ages. I reject the term 'Dark Ages' for any period - it's completely outdated and ridiculous - and I don't remember ever seeing it used to refer to Europe beyond about 1000 CE? Certainly not after the 1200s. But on p26 he says Europe "fell into the Dark Ages for a thousand years" and that there was "a prohibition on scientific discovery". I'm not going to say that the Church was throwing its arms open to science in this time, but at the same time - it's just wrong to say that 'science' (whatever we mean by that) was in abeyance for a millennium in Europe. He also talks about the fall of the Roman Empire being in 476 CE, which is one of those superbly Western-oriented statements that must make historians of Byzantium tear their hair out.

One of the good things about the history part of this book is that it is not entirely Euro-centric. There's discussion about how Hindu writings viewed the heart (around whether the heart was the seat of the soul etc), and quite a lot about Islamic views too. This latter actually leads to one of the other annoying statements, which is that without Islamic translations of ancient texts "the Renaissance in Europe would have begun with no past knowledge to build upon" (p72). Which is hilarious because it's horse/cart: without those texts there IS no Renaissance. ANYWAY. He does give credit to the Islamic scholars so that's excellent. There's also some discussion of Mesoamerican attitudes, too, although perhaps a little too much focus on human sacrifice (which I thought was a bit more doubted these days, but I am definitely not an expert in that area).

My final annoyance with the historical aspect of the book is a linguistic one. There's not very much discussion - or even acknowledgement - of the difficulties of translation around such words as 'soul' or 'mind' (as distinct from 'that lump of stuff in your head'). Again, not the author's area, but when you're discussing cultural differences between whether emotions are seated in the heart or the brain, these things matter. So I found that disappointing. And this was only made worse by the start of the chapter about the word itself (chapter 28), where he states that the Indo-European word itself derives from the Greek and the Latin... which is another horse/cart problem, given how much earlier the Indo-European is. Again, maybe that will be fixed before publication, because it's pretty egregious.

All of this makes it sound like I didn't like the book, which isn't completely true. I do think it's an interesting overview of the place of the heart in ancient societies, and coming into the European medieval period. I think that the modern sections are fascinating, which realistically makes sense given that the author is a surgeon and therefore the modern science of the heart is, actually, his area. He writes well, and in a manner that is accessible for the non-doctor. I had no idea about the modern understanding of the heart-brain connection, or that there are neurone in the heart, so all of that was fascinating - the idea that the heart is a little brain is wild!

Maybe it's mean, but I think the historical aspect needed to be treated a bit more seriously. If you want the book to be seen as a significant contribution to understanding the place of the heart in human culture, it needs to be as faultless as possible. This could be that, but it's not quite there.

[Matt J · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5! I liked this book a lot more than I expected! Incredible facts in here, really cool to learn. Beginning and end were a bit slow, but I ATE UP the middle.

[Julita · Rating 5 out of 5]

a piece of (he)art

[Allyson Dyar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I’ve reviewed for NetGalley that centered around the subject of the heart: The Beat of Life by Reinhard Friedl and one of my favorite books, Pump by Bill Schutt. Given how important the organ is to human existence, I shouldn’t be surprised.

The importance of the heart wasn’t lost on ancient history and literature. After all, if you think about it, the term “heart” has infiltrated just about every aspect of our lives, from “wearing our hearts on our sleeves” to showing mercy by “having a heart.”

In fact, according to the book, the term “Heart is the tenth most common word used in pop songs (excluding common words like I, the, and you); the fourth most common word in country music; and the sixth most common word in jazz.” It’s no wonder that the ancients devoted quite a bit of time to writing about the heart. They considered the heart to be the center of the soul and the most significant organ in the human body.

While the book devotes much time to the history of how the ancients perceived the heart (and I was happy to note that the vast work of Islamic physicians wasn’t overlooked), the book also covers the more technical aspects of what we currently know about the heart.

I found The Curious History of the Heart: A Cultural and Scientific Journey an enjoyable and an easy read, full of historical facts concerning the heart and a more scientific take on the heart, as the author is a physician-scientist and cardiologist.

This book would be of interest to those of us who have a burning interest in medical history but would also be enjoyable to those who aren’t as single-minded.

4/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The writing is conversational and crisp, and there is a great use of quotes, thankfully not overdone. There were also some great figures and images. Generally I don't like discussions of art and culture, but Dr. Figueredo did a great job of incorporating this type of content into the book. When talking about art, several of the artistic works were shown, giving great context. There was also some humor. Overall this is a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the digital review city.

[Kelly Reenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my current read. I'm surprised by what it's not. It's written by a cardiologist, so first thought was possible boring textbook material, but nope. Really fascinating history of the heart, the brain, and societal meanings of it all. Some believe you think and feel with your heart as if your heart is your soul. Also interesting how long they have been studying the heart and how long it took to realize what it does and how we can keep it going. Great book so far. I highly recommend it.

[John Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC from NetGalley. Great read. As an ED nurse a lot of the material I was aware of (heart structure, pathophysiology, etc) but there was a lot I didn't know, especially the history down through the ages. The material was presented in a manner that those not in the medical field can understand/relate to. Highly recommended. 👍🏼👍🏼

[Stephen Melikian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read. The combination of science and culture is fascinating. The book made me appreciate my own heart even more.

The book is well written and easy to read, and also heightened my curiosity about the heart. It inspired me to do some more reading on the topic.

I highly recommend the book.

[Sally W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing mix of interesting, well-researched scientific information with an entertaining and accessible narrative. I recommend this read not only to those curious about the evolution of cardiology but to any one with a heart and mind.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book- fascinating read!

Highly recommend!

[Leslie Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastante historia, interesante y digerible.

[Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who wants to know about where our understanding of the heart started and where it is at now, this is the go to book. As a heart nerd, I found learning about the cultural history of the heart fascinating as many of the ancient civilizations were clearly ahead of their time in their understanding. It’s also crazy to think about how far along we are in treating heart disease in just the past 100 years and how much more we can accomplish.

[Saray Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

excelente libro de divulgación científica sobre el corazón y sus misterios

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

W sumie chyba pierwsza książka gdzie spotkałam się z przypisami redaktora w stylu "TAK NAPRAWDĘ TO NIE"

A tak poza tym, to dzieci pamiętajcie: kardiolodzy dzielą się na hydraulików i elektryków (true story, w UCK to różne oddziały, wiem, bo przerabiałam)

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Curious History of the Heart, by Vincent M. Figueredo, was overall a disappointment for me, though like nearly any work of history it has its worthwhile moments. A look at the heart over time through the lenses of medicine, myth/religion, the arts, and culture, the book is a bit of a hodgepodge. On a positive note, it covers a variety of cultures and regions, such as Western Europe, China, India, Mesoamerica, the Middle East, and more. And the scattershot approach does offer a varied subject matter and gives a more holistic view of the organ.

That said, I had several issues. One is the scattershot approach also felt, well, scattered. Shifts were frequently abrupt, points arose somewhat randomly, the potential for connections was met only some of the time, there was a surprising amount of repetition, and some of it felt like it was more someone’s notes from doing some cursory web research rather than a deep dive into the topic.

Another issue was there was what I would call some over-generalizations, some relatively weakly supported leaps or points, and some glossing over of some points that might complicate matters, such as the difficulties of translation or the problems with sources that might be unreliable going unnoted. And the language Figueredo used sometimes called into question his authority/credibility on a topic, such as his repeated use of “Dark Ages”, a descriptor that has long fallen out of use and for very good reason.

Finally, some of it, maybe even a significant chunk of it, felt like pretty common knowledge (such as the Egyptians pulling out the brain through the nose) or barely recycled news stories, though to be fair, that’s possible because I read a lot of popular science in newspapers, magazines, and online. That isn’t to say there’s nothing of value here — I did highlight some points — but not as much as I normally do in a work of popular science or cultural exploration.

Beyond content and structure, the style is conversational and adequate to the task but that’s about it; there’s no lines you’ll highlight for their beauty or lingering nature, for example. As a quick read, a browsing kind of book, and a first step into the topic, it’s solid enough. But I’d recommend Heart: A History or The Exquisite Machine as far stronger in terms of content and style.
2.5

[Emy Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Figueredo is a brilliant cardiologist, with a true passion for his profession, as is evident in this enthralling deep dive into the history of the most misunderstood and poetically iconic organ: THE HEART! Split up into sections describing its influence in ancient medicine, religion, art, literature, and music, this book is truly the tell-all for everything relating to the heart throughout human history. I had a particularly good time learning about the origins of Valentine's day, wedding rings, EKGs, and stethoscopes. From history to science, it was also incredible to read about the earliest ideas of cardiac medicine from all areas of the world, and how they have come to shape our knowledge of the heart today. It seems the ancient battle between the heart and brain may be coming to an end, as humanity's understanding of the heart-brain connection comes to a 360. I've learned so much from this book. In addition to future advancements in cardiology and neurocardiology, this work also provides us with a plethora of "fun facts" about the heart. Did you know approximately 8% of one's total body weight is their blood? That earthworms have 5 hearts? That nitroglycerin is the active ingredient in dynamite?? There's a great amount of good humor mixed in here as well. Dr. Figuerdo is a jack of all trades. A cardiologist, an author, AND a comedian???
From the earliest civilizations to modern day, the heart has always fascinated us. And so I highly recommend this read to any and all who want to learn more about it, or those who are looking for some cool trivia to tell their friends. What an incredible piece of work this is! I commend the author for writing such a one-of-a-kind book. It's factual, informative, and fun. I also want to thank you for signing it for me! Lots of love! 🫀

[Lorenzo Del Rosario · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always thought that the heart was the most interesting organ of the body, and reading this book only made me more curious to learn more about it. Figueredo explores the cultural and scientific history of two different hearts: our physical heart that sustains life, and the symbolic heart that we use to represent love and courage.

I enjoyed reading this book because it encouraged me to think more about the significance of the heart, not only from a medical standpoint but also as a powerful cultural symbol. Although this book is framed as a history, it sometimes felt like more of an argumentative piece, as Figueredo makes a compelling case that we’ve come to undervalue the heart’s contributions to emotion. He states that modern medicine has often pushed us into reducing the heart to nothing more than a blood pump, and offers scientific and cultural evidence of how the heart remains central in our cultural and emotional lives. I liked his writings about about the heart-brain connection, how ancient civilizations viewed the heart, and even topics as simple as using heart emojis in text messages.

My main and one of my only criticisms of the book is that I wish it was organized more chronologically. Figueredo chose to organize this book in a way that separated artistic, historical, and medical perspectives on the heart, but I wish his exploration integrated these views a bit more. That being said, I still liked the book a lot, and it made me excited to continue learning about the heart!

[محمد بن مبارك · Rating 4 out of 5]

" ولولا العلماء والأطباء المسلمون، لفُقدت على الأرجح المعارف عن القلب والطبّ التي تعود إلى ماقبل علم ٤٠٠ ميلادي؛ ولكانت النهضة الأوربية قد بدأت دون أن تمتلك أي معارف سابقة تبني عليها."


كتاب يحكي قصة القلب في كل الثقافات والعلوم والحضارات، بدءاً من مفهوم القلب في كل الحضارات القديمة مروراً بالإديان والمعتقدات، ومصارعة العلماء والإطباء لها . يشيد الكتاب بالحضارة الإسلامية ممثلةً بإبن سيناء والرازي وابن النفيس الذين نقلوا بعلمهم مفهوم القلب بالشكل الصحيح إلى الحضارة الغربية التي كانت غارقة في الجهل والظلام.

ينتقل الكتاب بعدها إلى ارتباط القلب بالأدب والموسيقى والفنون، قبل أن يتناول أحد أكثر الفصول إثارة – وهو المفضل لي – حول معلومات القلب الرئيسية. في هذا القسم، ستقرأ معلومات مختصرة وممتعة عن هذه العضلة العجيبة، من أبعادها إلى آلية ضخ الدم، بالإضافة إلى الأمراض التي تصيب القلب والحلول المستقبلية لها.

معلومات جميلة كقلب الذكر اكبر من قلب الأنثى ومفهوم متلازمة القلب المنكسر، ولماذا بعض الرياضين يصابون بالأمراض القلبية والكثير من المعلومات راح تقرأها في هذا الكتاب الجميل اللي راح يأخذك بقلبك من التاريخ والثقافات والمعتقدات ثم بالأدب والموسيقى والفن نهايةً بالعلم والمستقبل.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curious History of the Heart by Vincent M Figueredo is a fascinating account of both the medical and cultural history of the heart, easy to read and entertaining as well as educational. Short chapters on themes ranging from the imagery of the heart in art through the ages to the measurements of blood pressure and the potential for artificial hearts in the future shows the scope of the book and mean that it will appeal to a broad range of readers. If I had a slight criticism it is that the chapters are so short and the subject matter is so diverse that it feels a little choppy at times , and also at times left me wanting to know more about a specific topic. In that sense this is a good introductory book about a vast topic. I did appreciate the inclusion of a multitude of cultures and the idea that the heart was regarded as important in many civilisations.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Ose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se lee rapidísimo, resulta muy ameno. Aborda la historia del corazón (básicamente desde el inicio de la humanidad) hasta ahora. Los capítulos que más disfruté fueron los que se enfocan en el arte y literatura.

El autor no es nada pretencioso, las cuestiones técnicas o médicas las explica de forma bastante sencilla, lo que se agradece.