The Heart and Cardiovascular System: Scientific Foundations

Abstract

This is the second edition of this monumental book, and it was my privilege to have reviewed the first edition. At that time I expressed great concern at a book that purported to describe and define the scientific bases on which cardiology would develop in the future. As the authors themselves have indicated, science, and particularly cardiovascular science, has no definable boundary, and every area of basic science has the potential for influencing developments in unforeseen areas. In addition to basic biological sciences, developments in chemistry, physics, engineering, technology, computers, statistics, and psychology all may provide the substrates leading to growth in cardiology and any other medical subspecialty. In a sense, therefore, the scientific bases for future developments in cardiology are undefinable and unpredictable. It is quite clear that the authors understand this dilemma. They have tried to focus the second edition on the rapidly developing areas of molecular and