Bill Schutt does a remarkable job sharing the history of the circulatory system. It was surprisingly entertaining learning experience with jokes woven between. Have a read or listen as I did to learn about hearts in all shapes and sizes as a vital organ to our existence as living organisms.

An absolutely fantastic read! With his background in anatomy and physiology, the author brings his knowledge and excellent storytelling abilities to the table with Pump: A Natural History of the Heart. Using the lens of the heart and circulatory system, the author examines not only the history of this incredible body system, but also leads us on a journey through the history of anatomy and medicine.

The book is extremely well-written and well-researched and told at a level that any reader will understand and enjoy. Readers of Bill Bryson and Mary Roach will enjoy Bill Schutt's humor and storytelling ability. L.J. Gasner does a fantastic job as the narrator.

A fascinating history of the anatomy and physiology of the heart. The author does a good job of chronicling the advances (and setbacks!) in the long history of trying to make sense of the cardiovascular system. Lots of good information presented in a very readable format.

While I appreciate the research, time, and effort that went into writing this non-fiction work; I went into this book with wrong expectations. I expected this to be an educational yet humorous book about the human heart and how that plays into the human body and human psyche.
What I got (for the first 35% of the book) was a dissection of a blue whale heart, earthworms and how they don’t have hearts, and horseshoe crab orgies and spawning rituals. The at length sections on the cryogenic possibilities of wood frogs, then this book is for you. Granted there is definitely an audience for this book, but again, I am not said audience.

The latter half of the book (sections 11, 12, and 17 in particular) are more what I thought the book would entail. It talks about the human evolution of the heart; from Egyptian rituals to new technology in growing new hearts. It discusses how people who “have heart” are courageous or kind. From the synopsis of the book, I felt these topics would have been more prevalent in this book. I was engaged throughout these sections and thought these were the highlight of Pump!

Thank you to Workman Audio, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

I had the opportunity to both read and listen to Pump by Bill Schutt. The content was informative and interesting. In the ebook version, the images were such a wonderful addition to the text. The audiobook was also very well done. I learned quite a bit about the heart that I did not know before. Highly recommended read!