NEW BOOK: A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub

 A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub

By Simon Pearson, Fiona Gorman, Mary Archer (Foreword by)

 

The incredible life story of a legendary cardiac surgeon and scientist Magdi Yacoub, an outsider who succeeded against the odds. 

Veteran journalists Simon Pearson and Fiona Gorman follow the remarkable life of heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub from his formative years in Egypt, through spectacular success at Cairo University, to his long and distinguished career in Britain. Although at times he clashed with the medical establishment in London, Yacoub pioneered great advances in heart surgery. He was knighted in 1992, and in 2014, he was awarded the highest honor in the gift of the Queen, the Order of Merit.

Written with unprecedented access and drawing on extensive interviews and research, the biography recounts how Yacoub transformed the treatment of children with congenital heart disease. He performed some of the first heart transplants in Britain and the first heart-lung transplants in Europe. At London's Harefield Hospital, he created the greatest heart transplant center in the world. Among his patients are men and women who are still thriving more than thirty-five years after he gave them new hope.

This story is also about science, the development of new medical techniques, and a deeper understanding of how the human body works. Today, at an age when most people have long since retired, Yacoub is still pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding and surgical know-how. He is also taking heart surgery to places that until now have had little access to cardiac treatment, developing centers of excellence across Africa, including in Egypt, where his hospital in Aswan has an international reputation, and a new center is rising in Cairo.

Yacoub's life is one of triumph and tragedy, success and failure, fierce criticism and high praise--it is also an enthralling journey through the worlds of scientific research and medical politics and ethics at the highest levels.

The author Simon Pearson and Fiona Gorman are a husband-and-wife team of author-editors who worked for The Times newspaper in London for more than thirty years. A former executive editor at The Times, Simon is the author of three books, including the bestselling biography The Great Escaper. Fiona has written on a range of subjects including mental health, and Simon contributes obituaries for The Times. They live in London. Dame Mary Archer is a British scientist specializing in solar power conversion. In 2012 she was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the National Health Service.

ISBN: 9781649031969
ISBN-10: 1649031963
Publisher: American University in Cairo Press
Publication Date: July 25th, 2023
Pages: 416
Language: English

Editorial Reviews

"This is a story of a life well lived. Sir Magdi Yacoub has transformed medical practice and improved the lives of millions of people. He did this with intellectual creativity, determination, and a deep commitment to serving humanity."—Minouche Shafik, London School of Economics and Political Science

PRAISE FOR MAGDI YACOUB:

"Magdi has changed our definition of what is possible."—Gordon Brown, Former UK Prime Minister

"The world’s leading cardiac surgeon"—The Sunday Times

"Renowned heart specialist Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub"—The Guardian

“Recognized as one of the great pioneers of heart transplant surgery”—BBC Radio

Book Description:

The incredible life story of legendary cardiac surgeon and scientist Magdi Yacoub, an outsider who succeeded against the odds
About the Author
Simon Pearson worked for The Times newspaper in London for more than thirty years. He is the author of three books, including the bestselling biography The Great Escaper. He currently writes obituaries for The Times and lives in London.

Fiona Gorman worked for The Times newspaper in London for more than thirty years. She has written on a range of subjects including mental health. She lives in London.

Dame Mary Archer is a British scientist specializing in solar power conversion. In 2012 she was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the National Health Service.

SOURCE: Amazon

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