In the Country of Hearts - by John Stone (Paperback)

About the Book

In the tradition of Oliver Sacks and Lewis Thomas comes this fascinating book of essays about the two hearts that beat in all of us--the literal one and its fraternal twin, the metaphorical heart.

Book Synopsis

A gifted poet as well as a renowned cardiologist and medical professor, John Stone eloquently bridges the seeming expanse between science and the arts. In this wonderful collection of true stories, Stone fluently translates the language of cardiology into one we can all understand as he examines the relationship between the physical heart--the driving pump that nourishes the body--and the metaphorical heart. Through fascinating case histories, Stone reveals the human side of medicine, uncovering, the world of emotions felt by doctors and by those who seek their help.

Review Quotes

As a cardiologist, John Stone knows the intricate mechanics of the heart; as a literary man, he suggests the mystery beyond the devices. He is himself a warmhearted man who fills his book with fascinating true stories.--Annie Dillard

As he explicates and celebrates the possibilities of modern medicine, Dr. Stone remains firmly attached to the humanness of its endeavors. . . . [He] has used his senses well.-- "New York Times Book Review"

In In the Country of Hearts, the art of medicine is alive and well.-- "Atlanta Journal and Constitution"

How fine our clinics would be, and how splendid our literature, were all doc-tors and writers alike to have the heart of this Stone.--Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of MD magazine and author of The Woods Hole Cantata

This book should be required reading for every person who aspires to be a physician--it makes me proud that I am a doctor.--Ferrol Sams, author of Run with the Horsemen

What a joy when a medical doctor can tell us what he knows and make us understand and believe in the good in ourselves. Hooray for knowledge and language and the joining of science and art.--Ellen Gilchrist

About the Author

John Stone, M.D., (1936-2008) a noted lecturer and advocate for the teach-ing of humanities during medical education, was a cardiologist and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. He is also the author of four vol-umes of poetry--In All This Rain, Renaming the Streets, The Smell of Matches, and Music from Apartment 8--and coeditor of On Doctoring: Stories, Poems, Es-says, a widely read anthology of literature and medicine.