100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir
In this enthralling autobiography, a distinguished cardiac surgeon opens up his own heart to readers. Cooley is a pioneer in the treatment of cardiovascular disease: the implantation of the first totally artificial heart, new techniques for the repair of aneurysms, and the first heart-lung transplant in a baby. He founded the renowned Texas Heart Institute in 1962. By 2001, Cooley and his surgical team had already performed more than 100,000 heart operations. Cooley’s memoir chronicles his medical training and professional accomplishments. Even more heart-tugging is the recounting of his personal highs and lows: growing up during the Great Depression; playing basketball; coping with family, including the divorce of his parents; serving in the military in Europe; filing for bankruptcy; grieving for the loss of a daughter; and loving his home in Texas.  A 40-year rift between Cooley and another talented, ambitious cardiac surgeon, Michael DeBakey, illustrates how strong personalities can influence the trajectory of medical science. This memoir casts Cooley as a brilliant, prolific, and bold surgeon-researcher whose success is due in part to ego, endurance, and empathy. --Tony Miksanek