King of Hearts, G. Wayne Miller
King of Hearts, G. Wayne Miller
List: $16.95 | Sale: $11.87
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King of Hearts
The True Story of the Maverick Who Pioneered Open-heart Surgery

Author: G. Wayne Miller

Narrator: John Lescault

Unabridged: 7 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2000

Synopsis

Few of the great stories of medicine are as palpably dramatic as the advent of open heart surgery, yet, until now, no one has brought to life all of the thrilling specifics of this triumph. G. Wayne Miller has dramatically and meticulously reconstructed the amazing true story of how a group of renegade Minnesota surgeons, led by Dr. Walt Lillehei, accomplished what many experts considered to be an impossible feat: he opened the heart, repaired fatal defects, and made the miraculous routine. Drawing on archival research and exclusive interviews with Lillehei and legendary pioneers such as Michael DeBakey and Christian Barnard, Miller takes readers into the lives of these brave doctors and patients as they risked reputations and lives to revolutionize health care.

About G. Wayne Miller

G. Wayne Miller is one of the most acclaimed journalists in New England. He is a staff writer at the Providence Journal, where he has won numerous journalism awards. He is also the author of a novel, Thunder Rise, and a number of highly acclaimed nonfiction books. He lives in Rhode Island and can be reached at www.gwaynemiller.com.

About John Lescault

Patrick Cullen (a.k.a. John Lescault), a native of Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Catholic University of America. He lives in Washington, DC, where he works in theater.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Haytham on January 05, 2016

How can you make a very interesting book out of a surgeons biography, interesting for a surgeon and for a non-medical as well. This imminent surgeon's right for appreciation has been wasted for long. I enjoyed the read and was stunned by what that surgeon accomplished and his contributions for the h......more

Goodreads review by Muneeb on July 12, 2021

Our biology is nothing short of a miracle and I'm fascinated by medical books because they give me a sliver of a glimpse of that miraculousness. This book is about the development of heart surgery told through the story of Walt Lillehei (who they call the father of heart surgery). It blew me away. I......more

Goodreads review by Misty on March 19, 2018

Great read for medical geeks! Not too technical and did a great job of following the fascinating development of open heart surgery. Here’s my favorite quote: “You don’t enter the wilderness expecting to find a paved road.” True for so many things in life!......more

Goodreads review by Jen on October 19, 2020

This book is incredible because it’s nonfiction but written like a novel. I also didn’t know about cross circulation and all the other crazy experiments they used to achieve open heart surgery. We are very lucky we have the advances we do today!......more

Goodreads review by Julie on August 18, 2020

I just loved this book so much - so many elements. A Norwegian Minnesotan, pioneering open heart surgery at the University of Minnesota in the years my parents were born. Working in cardiac research myself a full 60+ years later really puts everything in perspective. Truly a phenomenal biography of......more

Quotes

“Fast-paced and scrupulously researched.”  Publishers Weekly

“King of Hearts is breathless reading.”  Amazon.com, editorial review

“The reader’s restraint from characterization or drama, while retaining the power of the gripping story, appropriately commands the listener’s fascination up to the sad, almost operatic, ending.” AudioFile

“Highly recommended for all readers.” Library Journal

“Could not have come at a more opportune time.”  Kirkus Reviews

“Cullen heightens the drama through good pacing and inflections that are breathtakingly exhilarating at appropriate moments. Even listeners uninterested in medical history will find themselves entranced.”  Booklist

Awards

  • Booklist Editors’ Choice
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