IntroductionPart I: The Ancient Heart1. The Heart Means Life2. Heart and Soul3. The Heart and God4. An Emotional Heart 5. Ancient Understanding of the Physical Heart6. Ancient Heart DiseasePart II: The Heart Goes Into the Darkness and Comes Out in the Light7. The Dark Ages8. The Islamic Golden Age9. The Viking Cold Hjarta10. American Heart Sacrifice11. The Heart Renaissance12. Hither and ThitherPart III: heART13. The Heart in Art14. The Heart in Literature15. The Heart in Music16. Heart RitualsPart IV: Heart 10117. The Pump18. Heart Anatomy19. Heart Sounds20. The Color of Blood21. The Heart's Electrical System22. 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 Disease27. Sudden Death of an Athlete28. The Word "Heart"Part V: The Modern Heart29. Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution30. The Twentieth Century and Heart Disease31. Aspirin32. The Twentieth Century and Heart Surgery33. The Heart Now34. Broken Heart Syndrome35. The Heart-Brain Connection36. The Future HeartAfterwordAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyFurther ReadingIndex
Summary:
"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.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.