Christiaan Barnard, as a young child, never imagined that one day he would be known as the greatest pioneer of cardiothoracic surgery of all times. Advances in cardiothoracic surgery have surpassed anything he could have imagined. It was much more than we could have imagined. Human heart transplants had never been carried out. No one even knew what artificial heart valves meant or how they could prolong life. Not only would they prolong life, but they would give a better quality of life to those who suffered from what we today call heart disease. Many thought this was possible. Many thought it should be done. Barnard was brave enough to try and talented enough to succeed. Barnard was born in 1922 in Befaufort West, South Africa. His parents, Adam and Maria Barnard, were Dutch. They had three sons and very little money. Barnard attended public schools. He became interested in cardiovascular surgery when his brother died at the age of five from cardiovascular disease. Barnard used grief in a positive way. He did not view death as a defeat like many would. He focused on his brother's...