Heart by Sandeep Jauhar Summary
Overview of Heart
Cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar's "Heart: A History" weaves medical breakthroughs with personal stories, earning finalist status for the Wellcome Book Prize. What makes this PBS NewsHour book club pick revolutionary? Its profound argument that our lifestyle choices - not technology - hold the key to cardiac health.
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Key takeaways
When Your Own Heart Becomes a Ticking Clock
A routine chest CT scan at forty-five revealed an unsettling truth: coronary artery calcifications lurking in the heart of a cardiologist who knew exactly what they meant. Standard risk calculators offered reassurance-just a 2% chance of heart attack within ten years. But numbers don't tell the whole story. With two grandfathers who died suddenly from cardiac events and South Asian heritage stacking the odds, this wasn't just medical data-it was a preview of a likely ending. Here's the uncomfortable reality: the organ keeping you alive might also be plotting your demise. This fist-sized muscle beats nearly three billion times over a lifetime, yet it's been the world's leading killer since 1910. How did humanity's most romanticized organ become its greatest threat? Unlike any other organ, the heart operates independently-pumping blood to itself without relying on the brain. Ancient Egyptians preserved it during mummification while Aztecs offered beating hearts to their gods. Even today, families struggle accepting brain death when a heart continues its rhythmic dance. This self-sufficiency has elevated the heart beyond mere biology into the realm of symbol and meaning.
The Heart as Symbol and the Biology Behind Broken Hearts
Cracking the Code of Circulation and the Surgeons Who Dared
Cross-Circulation and the Heart-Lung Machine Revolution
Mapping the Heart's Highways and Opening Blocked Roads
The Heart's Electrical Symphony and Life-Saving Innovations
Beyond Technology: Healing the Whole Heart
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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