Christiaan Barnard never imagined as a child that he would one day be known as the greatest pioneer of cardiothoracic surgery of all time. The advances in cardiothoracic surgery have surpassed anything he could ever imagine. It was more than anyone could have imagined. Human heart transplants had never been performed before. No one even knew what artificial heart valves meant or how they could prolong life. Not only would they have extended life, but they would have given a better quality of life to those suffering from what we now call heart disease. Many believed it could be done. Many believed it had to 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 children and very little money. Barnard attended public schools. He became interested in cardiovascular surgery when his brother died at the age of five due to cardiovascular disease. Barnard used pain in a positive way. He did not accept death as a defeat as many would have done. He focused on his brother's...