In everyday parlance, the heart is a pump, the brain our emotions centre. So why do we put so much emotional and spiritual investment in our hearts and why are emotions ‘heartfelt’?
My work into the history of emotions and the body shows that prioritising the brain as the centre of emotions is relatively recent. Heart transplants, Valentine’s cards and the language of love are all reminders that the heart is far more than a pump. Find out more by listening to my Radio 4 interview on the subject, recorded in Westminster Abbey.
My book Matters of the Heart offers a new and exciting perspective on the heart as an organ of the body, the soul and culture. To grab a copy check out the following links: Amazon, Waterstones (paperback), Waterstones (Hardback)
Reviews
Detailed case studies are seamlessly interwoven with thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis. (Zaheer Baber, Times Literary Supplement)
This is a splendid book, neatly conceived, well written, and beautifully produced. (Mark Jackson, Social History of Medicine) Refreshingly novel (Bill Bynum, The Lancet)