Pump: A Natural History of the Heart

Zoologist Schutt (American Museum of Natural History; author of the best-selling Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History) turns his wry lens on the heart and circulatory system in this entertaining read. Divided into three parts, the book begins with a survey of the animal kingdom that explains the heart’s anatomy, physiological functions, and evolution. Schutt covers a lot of ground here and discusses serious science, but his witty style keeps it readable. The book’s second part traces the progression of medical knowledge about the heart and circulatory system. Here, Schutt is in his element, highlighting “strange stories and bizarre treatments” like bloodletting and early attempts at blood transfusion. He discusses the medical pioneers from around the world who established many of the present day’s understandings (and misunderstandings) of the heart and circulation, including Galen of Pergamon, Ibn al-Nafis, Andreas Vesalius, and William Harvey. The book’s final part covers advances in modern cardiology, particularly René Laënnec’s 1816 invention of the stethoscope, and the first cardiac catheterization, by Werner Forssmann in 1929. The book includes helpful black-and-white illustrations of the heart’s anatomy.