Heart

An American Medical Odyssey

De: Dick Cheney, Jonathan Reiner

Narrado por: Edward Herrmann, Jeremy Bobb, Jonathan Reiner

For as long as he has served at the highest levels of business and government, Vice President Dick Cheney has also been one of the world’s most prominent heart patients. Now, for the first time ever, Cheney, together with his longtime cardiologist, Jonathan Reiner, MD, shares the very personal story of his courageous thirty-five-year battle with heart disease, from his first heart attack in 1978 to the heart transplant he received in 2012.

In 1978, when Cheney suffered his first heart attack, he received essentially the same treatment President Eisenhower had had in 1955. Since then, cardiac medicine has been revolutionized, and Cheney has benefitted from nearly every medical breakthrough. At each juncture, when Cheney faced a new health challenge, the technology was one step ahead of his disease. Cheney’s story is in many ways the story of the evolution of modern cardiac care.

Heart is the riveting, singular memoir of both doctor and patient. Like no US politician has before him, Cheney opens up about his health struggles, sharing harrowing, never-before-told stories about the challenges he faced during a perilous time in our nation’s history. Dr. Reiner provides his perspective on Cheney’s case and also gives readers a fascinating glimpse into his own education as a doctor and the history of our understanding of the human heart. He masterfully chronicles the important discoveries, radical innovations, and cutting-edge science that have changed the face of medicine and saved countless lives.

Powerfully braiding science with story and the personal with the political, Heart is a sweeping, inspiring, and ultimately optimistic book that will give hope to the millions of Americans affected by heart disease.

©2013 Dick Cheney & Jonathan Reiner (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Well written and engaging.

This book was well written, and engaging. I could hardly put it down. The two perspectives were fascinating. As a member of the heart failure community, I recommend this book to all who are working through the journey of the heart.

Thumbs up from a Cardiologist

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. Cheney and Rainer alternate, detailing the Vice Presidents battle with heart disease over decades. Cheney's own story is interwoven with a detailed account and explanation of advances in Cardiology and Cardiovascular surgery during that time. Rainer tells the story of his famous patient with compassion and empathy. I have recommended this book to several of my staff and patients. Andreas Muench, MD

Insightful

This was a very well written novel. I loved hearing the vice president’s story from both the first person and medical perspective. I would recommend the novel to anyone interested in cardiac medicine, living with heart disease, or wanting to learn more about Dick Cheney’s extraordinary life.