Product Description

Every day, 2,600 Americans die of cardiovascular disease -- and despite remarkable interventional and surgical procedures, over 650,000 new heart attacks occur annually. In The Heart Speaks, Dr. Mimi Guarneri reveals groundbreaking new research that the heart is a multilayered, complex organ, possessing intelligence, memory, and decision-making abilities independent from the mind -- and that healing the heart can have more to do with healing the mind and soul than we ever knew.

From childhood in a family riddled with heart disease to a medical career facing the pounding heartbeats of cardiac emergencies, Dr. Guarneri draws us into the intimate moments of life and death, and leads us on a riveting exploration of the heart's many mysteries. Through her compelling memoir we see that it is only by knowing the whole heart -- its mental, emotional, spiritual, and universal aspects -- that we can truly heal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #225776 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A lyrical writer as well as a cardiologist, the author, founder and medical director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, describes how she learned that beyond the power of our most sophisticated medical equipment is a physician's humanity—"the listening ear, the healing touch, the devices of healers throughout time." Guarneri became highly accomplished at angioplasty and stent procedures, but came to realize that those she treated could also be helped by proper nutrition and stress reduction techniques such as yoga and visualization. She became committed to practices such as those of Dean Ornish, with whom she has worked, to reverse coronary disease with diet, exercise, meditation and support groups. Guarneri studied the link between depression and heart disease, and opened her mind to the validity of other alternative treatments, including energy healing, visualization before and after surgery, and spiritual practices. What is particularly attractive about this chronicle is the author's graceful integration of her own story—the destructive effect on her of stress and overwork—into those of her patients. Guarneri deplores the financial constraints that prevent doctors from spending time with patients and that many physicians have developed "a mechanic's mentality," focused on fixing rather than getting to know their patients.
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Review
"In her groundbreaking and heartwarming book, Dr. Guarneri has quite literally gotten to the heart of healing. Blending the latest research with unforgettable true stories, she teaches us how to listen to our heart's subtle language, think with its wisdom, rejoice in its loving memories, and connect with other hearts." -- Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., author of The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy

Review
"This deeply personal book...can change your life and might even save it."

-- Dean Ornish, M.D., author of Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and Love & Survival

"[A] groundbreaking and heartwarming book...blending the latest research with unforgettable true stories."

-- Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., author of The Heart's Code

"This is an honest, informative, and moving book by a leader in the transformation of medicine and health of medicine and health care. I recommend it."

-- Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging

"Like all genuine healers throughout history, Dr. Mimi Guarneri knows the power of story to heal, to make whole. She is a physician of the heart in all its many meanings."

-- Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Extraordinary Power of Ordinary Things

Customer Reviews

Seeing Beyond Metaphor to an Extraordinary New Vision of Health and Healing
The Laws of Health and Healing have been gradually evolving over the last century.

Some treatments that worked well at times in the past seem less effective now, while some other methods are becoming more stable and more reproducible. As clinicians and individuals in all walks of life learn more about how to work with these transformations, they also learn about new ways of thinking. We have to move beyond simple dualities, such as ill/not ill, sick/healthy right/wrong; we have to learn that meaning and diseases of meaning are central to much of what ails us, and that it is difficult to maintain wellness without a sense of purpose. We also learn to move beyond a constant need for certainty and to understand the importance of metaphor in our lives.

Dr. Guaneri's book is admirable for many reasons. She has embraced many of these principles, and one of the messages from her book is not just a plea to understand the whole person but also to understand metaphor. It is no coincidence that over many centuries, cultures the world over have spoken of people having a "broken heart," or of being "heart sick." Empirical research has shown not only the dreadful effects of anger and hostility on the heart, but also the dangers to the coronary arteries of living in an angry, unbalanced relationship.

As a young medical student I had the great good fortune to come across the writings of Rudolf Steiner. I was always struck by a seemingly odd comment about the heart being not just a pump. Particularly since I read this at the same time as the discovery of the first cardiac-derived hormone.

Dr. Guaneri reviews some of the evidence that the heart is more than a pump, and that it has, in fact, an active little brain of its own that communicates with the one in the head. She mentions the important work being done at the HeartMath Institute and also takes a brief look at some of the challenging reports of some heart transplant recipients who appear to take on some of the characteristics and even memories of their donors.

The whole book is well written and thought provoking. This is not just a book for those who have heart disease: I recommend it to anyone interested in the new science of medicine that is now emerging and the extraordinary possibilities that it carries with it.

Think about and apply some of the principles in this book. It could profoundly change your life for the better.

Heartfelt stories shared by a compassionate healer.
Dr. Guarneri is a rare healer. She has excellent technical skills, and what makes her so special is that she is also a kind, attentive, warm, caring, spiritual, and compassionate healer. Dr. Guarneri listens to her patients and makes them feel special and cared for at a time in their lives when they are vulnerable and afraid. She teaches as well as learns from her patients. Dr. Guarneri teaches her patients that through diet, nutrition, exercise, stress management, spirituality, faith, hope, and the love and support from family and friends, you can make your life better and your heart stronger. She treats the whole person, body, mind, and soul. She has devoted her life to healing the hearts of her patients and family. Through her patients' and her own heartfelt stories, Dr. Guarneri shares with us how healing it can be for us to listen to what our hearts are telling us for what our hearts say, may save our lives, to be compassionate to ourselves and each other, to be open to complementary medicine, to have hope, faith, gratitude, forgiveness, and spirituality, and to connect our hearts to one another and a greater power.

A Personal Path to Healing
A physician that prescribes 'a small dog' for treatment, supports a patient's vision of angels at the bedside and embraces the 'laying on of hands' for healing, has my vote of confidence. Dr. Mimi Guarneri sensitively intertwines her personal path to healing with her patients' experiences in such a way that you instinctively start reflecting on your own life journey. And that is a wonderful gift this book offers everyone. I have often wondered how much damage my own life experiences have had on my personal health. You will enjoy the book, however, if you or a family member suffers from heart disease I highly recommend this easy read. I was left hopeful for a day when more physicians stop pushing pills and start having compassionate interactions with patients who have a unique story to tell. I am grateful my physician already does.