Taking on Heart Disease

CNN's Larry King has written a celebrity show and tell about discovering and overcoming heart disease. Eighteen first-person accounts, including King's triple-bypass surgery, are paired with advice from expert cardiologists. Each story is used to illustrate key aspects of how to spot, diagnose and survive heart disease. "When your body and mind heal," promises the resilient King, "get ready for a hell of a ride." Journalist Mike Wallace report of his two heart surgeries while his cardiologist details the effects of slow heartbeats and how to live with a pacemaker. Actress Kate Jackson's description of her surgery to repair a hole in her heart is linked with a discussion of women and heart disease. Walter Cronkite's tale of grilling his physician before his bypass surgery is followed by five questions to ask your cardiologist. The account of Regis Philbin's reluctant angioplasty is enlarged by a description of revolutionary tests to detect heart disease. Through his careful choice of narratives and expert commentary, King describes the many faces of heart disease (from runaway rapid heartbeat to blocked arteries) as well as the heart smart strategies for survival. Even the name-dropping tidbits, (Cher calls Kate Jackson; Arnold calls Regis Philbin) and the occasional live-for-today cliches do not detract from the sensible and wide ranging advise King has collected. In our celebrity-driven culture, he is wise to tap the rich and famous to teach these life-saving truths about