by Gail Godwin
First published 2001
Gail Godwin examines the heart as both biological organ and cultural symbol across human history. She begins with the Italian musical term tempo giusto, meaning the right tempo, which matches the steady beat of a healthy heart at 66 to 76 beats per minute. Godwin traces heart imagery from ancient cave paintings in Spain dating back 12,000 years to modern medical instruments like the stethoscope. She draws from literature, mythology, religion, philosophy, medicine, and visual arts to show how the heart has shaped human understanding. The book moves from ancient texts like Gilgamesh through philosophical traditions including Confucius, examining how different cultures have interpreted this vital organ. Godwin weaves together personal stories from her own life with broader cultural analysis. She explores romantic traditions from the first valentine cards to literary expressions of love and loss. The author connects medical discoveries about cardiac function with metaphorical uses in language and art. This interdisciplinary approach reveals how the heart serves as both life sustaining muscle and enduring symbol of human emotion, courage, and connection across millennia of civilization.
Genres: biography-memoir, history-of-medicine, art-history, academic, cultural-studies, history-of-science
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: interdisciplinary-approach
Period: Ancient, Modern
320 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow