Pump: A Natural History of the Heart

Pump: A Natural History of the Heart explores one of the most essential organs in the animal kingdom from an evolutionary and natural-history perspective. Zoologist Bill Schutt takes readers from tiny organisms and worms to frogs, horseshoe crabs, fish, bats, blue whales, and humans, revealing the surprising ways hearts and circulatory systems have evolved across the animal world.

Why You’ll Love This

• Explores the evolution of hearts and circulation across the animal kingdom
• Features fascinating examples, from freezing frog hearts to the enormous hearts of blue whales
• Examines the relationship between animal biology and advances in human medicine
• Traces how ancient cultures and modern scientists have tried to understand the heart
• Written by vertebrate zoologist and American Museum of Natural History research associate Bill Schutt
• A great read for natural-history fans, biology enthusiasts, and curious readers

Discover the remarkable diversity of hearts in nature and see this familiar organ from a whole new scientific perspective.