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Heart to Beat: A Cardiac Surgeon's Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity--The Heart Way
Success is not reserved for the smartest or most talented--it's earned by those who want it the most. Heart conquers all and the triumphant always go all in, never settling for anything less than their best effort.
As a leading heart transplant surgeon, Dr. Brian Lima's life story is a testament to that mantra. He's living proof that slow and steady still wins the race, and that the American Dream is alive and well. He persevered through countless challenges growing up in a Cuban immigrant family and defied the odds every step of the way. To fulfill his impossible dream, Dr. Lima opted for the road less traveled, enduring nearly twenty years of rigorous education and surgical training at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. In Heart to Beat, Dr. Lima shares the lessons learned throughout his improbable rise to the pinnacle of success in the medical field. He breaks down the keys to advancing well beyond your comfort zone and perceived limitations, regardless of your field of interest. No dream is too far-fetched and his Heart Way approach to life will help unleash your full potential and surpass your wildest expectations!
As a leading heart transplant surgeon, Dr. Brian Lima's life story is a testament to that mantra. He's living proof that slow and steady still wins the race, and that the American Dream is alive and well. He persevered through countless challenges growing up in a Cuban immigrant family and defied the odds every step of the way. To fulfill his impossible dream, Dr. Lima opted for the road less traveled, enduring nearly twenty years of rigorous education and surgical training at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. In Heart to Beat, Dr. Lima shares the lessons learned throughout his improbable rise to the pinnacle of success in the medical field. He breaks down the keys to advancing well beyond your comfort zone and perceived limitations, regardless of your field of interest. No dream is too far-fetched and his Heart Way approach to life will help unleash your full potential and surpass your wildest expectations!
- GenresNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2020
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September 16, 2020
The author via Booktasters provided a copy of the PDF in exchange for an honest review.
Heart to Beat: A Cardiac Surgeon’s Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity—The Heart Way by Dr. Brian Lima is an ‘yes you can’ book. In this well-written memoir, he shares his personal and professional journey. As well, Dr. Lima’s reinforces the tools required for success in all aspects of life. His inspiring quotes give insight into his positive character. This self-help book helps you believe in yourself.
Heart to Beat: A Cardiac Surgeon’s Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity—The Heart Way by Dr. Brian Lima is an ‘yes you can’ book. In this well-written memoir, he shares his personal and professional journey. As well, Dr. Lima’s reinforces the tools required for success in all aspects of life. His inspiring quotes give insight into his positive character. This self-help book helps you believe in yourself.
June 4, 2020
A highly inspirational, informative and enlightening read...
This book has helped me to clarify my thinking, process my feelings, and make better decisions. If you are ready to stop coasting through life and have a strong desire to achieve your goals, this book with help you on your journey. The author has put his heart (pun intended) in the pages of this book and will encourage and give hope to the reader. So many wonderful, strong-minded and courageous people share their experiences through books, and I thank this author for sharing his.
This book isn’t just a ‘medical biography’, it’s a life improvement book that will change lives. Not only was this book of great benefit to me, it should be required reading for all health care professionals.
Highly recommended reading and a well-deserved five stars from me.
This book has helped me to clarify my thinking, process my feelings, and make better decisions. If you are ready to stop coasting through life and have a strong desire to achieve your goals, this book with help you on your journey. The author has put his heart (pun intended) in the pages of this book and will encourage and give hope to the reader. So many wonderful, strong-minded and courageous people share their experiences through books, and I thank this author for sharing his.
This book isn’t just a ‘medical biography’, it’s a life improvement book that will change lives. Not only was this book of great benefit to me, it should be required reading for all health care professionals.
Highly recommended reading and a well-deserved five stars from me.
June 12, 2020
This book really does have heart, and will keep you beating along your path. Heart to Beat by Brian Lima is for people of all walks of life and will teach you how to live The Heart Way.
H: Hard Work
E: Eager
A: Aligned
R: Resolute
T: Thoughtfulness
One of the biggest factors I got from this book was never to stop, to put your full effort into whatever you are striving towards no matter what other people say you can or can't do.
It is such a motivating story to read about someone who came from almost nothing to being one of the most well-respected heart surgeons. It's not so much about his story of becoming one, but the steps in the process he had to go through to get there.
He does a great job of explaining in terms you can actually apply in your life. So I highly recommend reading it especially if you need a motivating book.
H: Hard Work
E: Eager
A: Aligned
R: Resolute
T: Thoughtfulness
One of the biggest factors I got from this book was never to stop, to put your full effort into whatever you are striving towards no matter what other people say you can or can't do.
It is such a motivating story to read about someone who came from almost nothing to being one of the most well-respected heart surgeons. It's not so much about his story of becoming one, but the steps in the process he had to go through to get there.
He does a great job of explaining in terms you can actually apply in your life. So I highly recommend reading it especially if you need a motivating book.
August 31, 2020
I enjoyed this book and learning Dr. Lima’s began and his medical journey to become a Cardiac surgeon. As someone who is a medical student. It’s great to read about medical information and how he became who he is today.
March 31, 2020
There is something about reading about other peoples successes that really motivates people. I feel like even if you aren't a doctor, you can find something valuable in these words. It's inspiring and motivating to read about Dr. Brian Lima. I loved the way he put his findings and journey into works. Compelling and Enlightening!
March 31, 2020
Dr. Brian Lima has put together an informative, inspirational, and overall great read. There were a lot of ins and outs and this book is not just about one thing, you will get much more from it than you expect.
Written in a fact-based style while also being witty and giving the reader personal tidbits that make the author compelling, it’s really a very well balanced book.
Written in a fact-based style while also being witty and giving the reader personal tidbits that make the author compelling, it’s really a very well balanced book.
January 19, 2020
Dr. Lima’s journey from a regular middle class New Jersey kid to a highly skilled heart surgeon is incredible.
He endured nearly 20 years of rigorous education and surgical training to become a cardiac surgeon and throughout his book shares valuable life lessons.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in going to medical school, learning what it takes to become a leading transplant surgeon, or someone looking for a fantastic story that shows the American Dream is alive and well.
4.5/5 stars
He endured nearly 20 years of rigorous education and surgical training to become a cardiac surgeon and throughout his book shares valuable life lessons.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in going to medical school, learning what it takes to become a leading transplant surgeon, or someone looking for a fantastic story that shows the American Dream is alive and well.
4.5/5 stars
July 30, 2020
"Avoid the ABCDs of FAILURE: Accuse, Blame, Criticize, and Defer. It's on YOU!"
Feel me when I say, this book has been hugely energizing throughout whenever I was knocked by anxieties. I would name it the most motivating book I have read in 2020.
So the book is the real anecdote of a boy whose family had to flee their home in Cuba because of Fidel Castro's Oppressive communist regime and how he made his American Dream come true, testifying that success is not granted but earned by those with the greatest work ethic and the biggest heart.
The book begins and ends with a heart which is figurative and metaphysical both inside the book because Brian Lima is a heart surgeon who drives pickup trucks. Yes, you read it right! He calls this living "the Heart Way". Listen to your Heart
He talks about plentiful constructive things he learnt in life while he was toiling to establish himself and some of the wise words from him just struck me & I want to share them with you:
We may not necessarily have to look outward for sources of inspiration.
Our choices have consequences, and anything truly worth doing is not going to be easy.
To elevate your game, you must eliminate your doubt.
Life's about to school you, so take full advantage of the free lesson.
Guess what's your primary opposition- complacency.
And there are multiple other lessons to read up from Brian Lima's journey of life. This book was different to me from other motivational books I have read because it didn't tell something phenomenal that one needs to do to make it big but it just reminisced me of the things I have hesitated doing.
It was more like a wake-up call that I needed, and I sprang into action. The book compels you to leave passivity and reclaim your victorious life!
A book that I will highly recommend reading because it's magnificently encouraging for anyone.
Feel me when I say, this book has been hugely energizing throughout whenever I was knocked by anxieties. I would name it the most motivating book I have read in 2020.
So the book is the real anecdote of a boy whose family had to flee their home in Cuba because of Fidel Castro's Oppressive communist regime and how he made his American Dream come true, testifying that success is not granted but earned by those with the greatest work ethic and the biggest heart.
The book begins and ends with a heart which is figurative and metaphysical both inside the book because Brian Lima is a heart surgeon who drives pickup trucks. Yes, you read it right! He calls this living "the Heart Way". Listen to your Heart
He talks about plentiful constructive things he learnt in life while he was toiling to establish himself and some of the wise words from him just struck me & I want to share them with you:
We may not necessarily have to look outward for sources of inspiration.
Our choices have consequences, and anything truly worth doing is not going to be easy.
To elevate your game, you must eliminate your doubt.
Life's about to school you, so take full advantage of the free lesson.
Guess what's your primary opposition- complacency.
And there are multiple other lessons to read up from Brian Lima's journey of life. This book was different to me from other motivational books I have read because it didn't tell something phenomenal that one needs to do to make it big but it just reminisced me of the things I have hesitated doing.
It was more like a wake-up call that I needed, and I sprang into action. The book compels you to leave passivity and reclaim your victorious life!
A book that I will highly recommend reading because it's magnificently encouraging for anyone.
September 22, 2020
The H. E. A. R. T way
HARD WORK
EAGER
ALIGNED
RESOLUTE
THOUGHTFULNESS
What makes a man a success? What makes him extraordinary? Brian proves through his autobiographical account, which is written with a surgeons precision. Just like the master. It's seamless writing, with just the very details which are needed to inspire a generation like mine. Millennials, take note. Bring your optimism and pens.
From a high school graduated mother to Brian's schizophrenic brother, the American Dream was never a hokey catchphrase blurted out in politics. To the victory, belongs the spoils, the victory is seldom, if ever bestowed. Never for a minute I thought that the man who stood so proudly in the cover, or rather shone, arms bulging, a stethoscope hung like a dream that this man would have had it so hard, nothing being handed on a platter and so much taken away and yet here he is- in all his glory telling me about the things I only see in movies. With some noteworthy quotes and inspiring time as a medical student, the part two of the book I read in one sitting. Couldn't even move. The HEART way guided....Brian and through this book he wishes to guide anyone who will lend him an ear. Ambitious, firey and triumphant, an outcome of sheer hardwork and principles, I loved reading and feeling motivated by Brian. Even my mother browsed through the book, again and again telling me- Looks like a fine young man who surely knows how to succeed. I asked her what do you mean?
She said- A doctor who stays in such good shape oughta be a heart surgeon! He knows. He knows!
The third part of the book becomes quite technical yet as a writer, Brian didn't flummox me. Brian Lima is certainly a force to be reckoned with. If someone asks you to suggest one motivational autobiography which you have read What would you say?
I had pick this book if I were you. 🔥🔥
HARD WORK
EAGER
ALIGNED
RESOLUTE
THOUGHTFULNESS
What makes a man a success? What makes him extraordinary? Brian proves through his autobiographical account, which is written with a surgeons precision. Just like the master. It's seamless writing, with just the very details which are needed to inspire a generation like mine. Millennials, take note. Bring your optimism and pens.
From a high school graduated mother to Brian's schizophrenic brother, the American Dream was never a hokey catchphrase blurted out in politics. To the victory, belongs the spoils, the victory is seldom, if ever bestowed. Never for a minute I thought that the man who stood so proudly in the cover, or rather shone, arms bulging, a stethoscope hung like a dream that this man would have had it so hard, nothing being handed on a platter and so much taken away and yet here he is- in all his glory telling me about the things I only see in movies. With some noteworthy quotes and inspiring time as a medical student, the part two of the book I read in one sitting. Couldn't even move. The HEART way guided....Brian and through this book he wishes to guide anyone who will lend him an ear. Ambitious, firey and triumphant, an outcome of sheer hardwork and principles, I loved reading and feeling motivated by Brian. Even my mother browsed through the book, again and again telling me- Looks like a fine young man who surely knows how to succeed. I asked her what do you mean?
She said- A doctor who stays in such good shape oughta be a heart surgeon! He knows. He knows!
The third part of the book becomes quite technical yet as a writer, Brian didn't flummox me. Brian Lima is certainly a force to be reckoned with. If someone asks you to suggest one motivational autobiography which you have read What would you say?
I had pick this book if I were you. 🔥🔥
September 15, 2020
Brian Lima's Heart to Beat: A Cardiac Surgeon's Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity is fairly self-explanatory. Lima looks back on his childhood growing up in a Cuban immigrant family and his struggles to achieve his dream: becoming a heart surgeon. After spending nearly twenty years in education and medical training to fulfil his goal, Lima reveals the lessons he learnt along the way.
The book’s biggest strength lies within Lima himself. He is very candid and open about his experiences in medical school and surgical training, reflecting on the decisions taken that either helped or hindered him. It was really interesting learning the many years one has to endure to become a surgeon, and the sacrifices Lima has made to achieve his goal. Whilst speaking from his experience of becoming a cardiac surgeon, Lima reiterates his life lessons or key points in a general, accessible manner so people can relate or implement them in their own lives. This accessibility is also emphasised through his writing style. It is generally quite relaxed and conversational, almost as if he is sitting in the room offering you advice. There is a fair bit of medical jargon but Lima breaks it down and explains clearly and concisely so it isn’t an issue. He’s a very charismatic, engaging narrator that you are more than happy to follow.
Heart to Beat is a mash-up of different genres. It is part biography, part medical non-fiction, and part self-help/motivational. It does lean a lot more into the latter, with many inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout the text. They didn’t always feel necessary as Lima’s journey is itself inspirational and applaudable and by the end, I didn’t find them enlightening. By contrast, I preferred when Lima weaved statistics into the narrative, for example when discussing how many experience heart failure yet because the disease doesn’t garner enough attention, many ignore symptoms. Or the even worrying idea that there might be a shortage of cardiac surgeons within 20 years. Lima presents his facts and figures as a way to compliment and strengthen his arguments regarding the problems his profession faces.
Overall, Heart to Beat is a really interesting, thought-provoking book. Lima expertly takes his own experiences and shows how what he’s learned can benefit other people. Certainly, watching him persevere to fulfil his ambitions is inspirational and his dedication is admirable. The book very much falls into the self-help category, even though I did enjoy the elements of biography. So if people are looking for a motivational read, then this is the book for you.
The book’s biggest strength lies within Lima himself. He is very candid and open about his experiences in medical school and surgical training, reflecting on the decisions taken that either helped or hindered him. It was really interesting learning the many years one has to endure to become a surgeon, and the sacrifices Lima has made to achieve his goal. Whilst speaking from his experience of becoming a cardiac surgeon, Lima reiterates his life lessons or key points in a general, accessible manner so people can relate or implement them in their own lives. This accessibility is also emphasised through his writing style. It is generally quite relaxed and conversational, almost as if he is sitting in the room offering you advice. There is a fair bit of medical jargon but Lima breaks it down and explains clearly and concisely so it isn’t an issue. He’s a very charismatic, engaging narrator that you are more than happy to follow.
Heart to Beat is a mash-up of different genres. It is part biography, part medical non-fiction, and part self-help/motivational. It does lean a lot more into the latter, with many inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout the text. They didn’t always feel necessary as Lima’s journey is itself inspirational and applaudable and by the end, I didn’t find them enlightening. By contrast, I preferred when Lima weaved statistics into the narrative, for example when discussing how many experience heart failure yet because the disease doesn’t garner enough attention, many ignore symptoms. Or the even worrying idea that there might be a shortage of cardiac surgeons within 20 years. Lima presents his facts and figures as a way to compliment and strengthen his arguments regarding the problems his profession faces.
Overall, Heart to Beat is a really interesting, thought-provoking book. Lima expertly takes his own experiences and shows how what he’s learned can benefit other people. Certainly, watching him persevere to fulfil his ambitions is inspirational and his dedication is admirable. The book very much falls into the self-help category, even though I did enjoy the elements of biography. So if people are looking for a motivational read, then this is the book for you.
February 7, 2020
To me, the heart of this story is the fact that we are given someone who really sets out to achieve so much more than the average person would expect. But you know what? You don’t have to be a doctor to succeed in life. I think that this is the perfect book to showcase how no matter what you do in life, it’s important to have a certain drive to push through obstacles and overcome. Thinking outside of the box, not becoming stagnant in your field, that is the only way you will achieve something such as this. Kudos to Dr. Brian Lima for bringing us a book that is full of so much great subject matter, but also making it relatable and dare I say fun to read about. Set your goals higher than you have been, and crush them!
Read
January 16, 2020Heart to Beat: A Cardiac Surgeon's Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity--The Heart Way by Brian Lima is an inspiring read. A story of faith and determination as one man proves that slow and steady wins the races. Full of personal stories that are sure to inspire you. A lovely read that is sure to make you stop and think. *I received a complimentary copy from RABT Book Tours and the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*
February 7, 2020
The way I can describe this book is that it is smooth and cohesive. There is a lot of data, yet the author manages to present it in a way that is not confusing or overwhelming. I liked the fact that we are given many real world examples and how his journey translates to that of the lives of us all. We may not all be heart surgeons, but Dr. Brian Lima manages to inspire us all!
June 14, 2020
Goodreads Giveaway Winner: I want to start this off by saying that I will likely never give any sort of self-help/motivational book 5 stars, simply because of this genre's proclivity for bias. They're a mass of personal opinions at essence - though yes, they can be fully grounded in common sense and reason. [I feel like this is a rather negative way to begin, whoops.]
______________________________
Anyway. let's talk some good stuff! Brian Lima's story is incredible, and his journey is truly an amazing story of perseverance and hard work. As someone intending to work in the health care field, I am proud and happy to know that I may work with such knowledgeable and caring individuals. He writes strong messages of pursuing your dreams, and much of his advice and wisdom rang true with me.
However, I'd like to make a (brief) argument and say that The American Dream that he touts isn't attainable for everyone as it should be. I'd like to state here first that in no way do I want to belittle his accomplishments, he truly earned his place as a cardiac surgeon. He writes that as a child of immigrants, he had to really prove himself in school and chase his dream with more grit than his classmates, and this hardship prepared him for the tumultuous but rewarding world of cardiac medicine. With this determination, he was able to achieve his goals, and they are far from small. But nowadays, doing well in school and having that strong drive isn't always enough, especially as we learn more about the socioeconomic factors that continue to have a growing role in influencing a person's future. Just as a small example, public school quality varies drastically based on zoning, and someone of low socioeconomic standing isn't necessarily going to be able to move into a better school zone in order to get a good education that can place them on par with students of other schools. At some point, these societal hurdles shouldn't need to be overcome by the few exemplary and driven students who manage to struggle over them, but rather they shouldn't be there at all. As Lima states, we have (or soon will have) a shortage of cardiac surgeons and other medical professionals - more on this later - and we as a society may well be discouraging bright youth from chasing these futures as we reinforce such socioeconomic barriers. I just wanted to make the quick remark that the shortage of emerging professionals within the medical (and other) fields isn't wholly due to a lack of motivated youth birthed by our modern age of technology and instant gratification (though I would not deny that this is another issue).
One other point I'd like to make about the shortage of cardiac surgeons that may be a little controversial - we need more general practitioners, not necessarily more cardiac surgeons, and what Lima has written actually showcases this. He talks about the AHA's Life's Simple 7 to minimize your risk of heart disease, and all seven points are aspects of a person's health that should be monitored and actively discussed with a primary care provider. Not enough people in the US regularly see a primary care provider (I am not going to go into this full-blown issue but see: insurance, or everyone's lack thereof, and America's crap-ass health care "system"). If people were having regular check-ins and check-ups to ensure that we were all maintaining healthier lifestyles, we'd likely see a decrease in heart failure-related deaths; and following that, a less-critical need for more heart failure specialists. But we don't have enough general practitioners, more med school grads are compelled to specialize rather than become primary care doctors for a walloping number of reasons. And I'm going to end this little nutshell now because this a sentence away from becoming a full-blown critique of our entire health care system :)
3/4 stars for a really, truly inspiring story of a hardworking surgeon's road to continuing success. Obviously everything above is not Lima's fault, I simply wanted to expound on the factors that make such a journey so difficult for aspiring medical professionals, and good character isn't the only thing a person needs to push themselves up to the top. All in all though, solid advice and an amazing story of determination and hard work.
______________________________
Anyway. let's talk some good stuff! Brian Lima's story is incredible, and his journey is truly an amazing story of perseverance and hard work. As someone intending to work in the health care field, I am proud and happy to know that I may work with such knowledgeable and caring individuals. He writes strong messages of pursuing your dreams, and much of his advice and wisdom rang true with me.
However, I'd like to make a (brief) argument and say that The American Dream that he touts isn't attainable for everyone as it should be. I'd like to state here first that in no way do I want to belittle his accomplishments, he truly earned his place as a cardiac surgeon. He writes that as a child of immigrants, he had to really prove himself in school and chase his dream with more grit than his classmates, and this hardship prepared him for the tumultuous but rewarding world of cardiac medicine. With this determination, he was able to achieve his goals, and they are far from small. But nowadays, doing well in school and having that strong drive isn't always enough, especially as we learn more about the socioeconomic factors that continue to have a growing role in influencing a person's future. Just as a small example, public school quality varies drastically based on zoning, and someone of low socioeconomic standing isn't necessarily going to be able to move into a better school zone in order to get a good education that can place them on par with students of other schools. At some point, these societal hurdles shouldn't need to be overcome by the few exemplary and driven students who manage to struggle over them, but rather they shouldn't be there at all. As Lima states, we have (or soon will have) a shortage of cardiac surgeons and other medical professionals - more on this later - and we as a society may well be discouraging bright youth from chasing these futures as we reinforce such socioeconomic barriers. I just wanted to make the quick remark that the shortage of emerging professionals within the medical (and other) fields isn't wholly due to a lack of motivated youth birthed by our modern age of technology and instant gratification (though I would not deny that this is another issue).
One other point I'd like to make about the shortage of cardiac surgeons that may be a little controversial - we need more general practitioners, not necessarily more cardiac surgeons, and what Lima has written actually showcases this. He talks about the AHA's Life's Simple 7 to minimize your risk of heart disease, and all seven points are aspects of a person's health that should be monitored and actively discussed with a primary care provider. Not enough people in the US regularly see a primary care provider (I am not going to go into this full-blown issue but see: insurance, or everyone's lack thereof, and America's crap-ass health care "system"). If people were having regular check-ins and check-ups to ensure that we were all maintaining healthier lifestyles, we'd likely see a decrease in heart failure-related deaths; and following that, a less-critical need for more heart failure specialists. But we don't have enough general practitioners, more med school grads are compelled to specialize rather than become primary care doctors for a walloping number of reasons. And I'm going to end this little nutshell now because this a sentence away from becoming a full-blown critique of our entire health care system :)
3/4 stars for a really, truly inspiring story of a hardworking surgeon's road to continuing success. Obviously everything above is not Lima's fault, I simply wanted to expound on the factors that make such a journey so difficult for aspiring medical professionals, and good character isn't the only thing a person needs to push themselves up to the top. All in all though, solid advice and an amazing story of determination and hard work.
May 31, 2020
The Heart Way
New York author Brian Lima, MD earned is degree in Chemistry from Cornell University, his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, has published articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, The American Journal of Cardiology, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and is the director of Cardiac Transplantation at The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital located at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. He is an authority on advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support devices that are surgically implanted to help provide full heart support for people with advanced heart failure. HEART TO BEAT is his literary debut.
This absorbing and fascinating biography is Dr. Lima’s mission to encourage and coach each of us to follow our dream. As a member of a Cuban immigrant family, at age 10 he experienced his father’s heart attack and survival and that incident initiated his conviction to make a difference in the world of heart care. Despite the odds against him he dedicatedly devoted his path through extensive education to become not only a renowned cardiac transplant expert, but even more important, to touch lives of his patients and their families with true caring, educating them and informing them to prepare in a most supportive manner for possible complications. He is the epitome of the compassionate, caring, and warmly communicative physician.
The quality of Dr Lima’s writing mirrors his approach to sharing his life as a pattern to success. Early on he states, ‘Like it or not, life is a contact sport, and you really have to be all in it to win it. If you’re not in it to win it, there’s always plenty of room at the kids’ table. This realization begs the question: how do we prepare for or cope with the inevitable failures and disappointments that come our way…we may not necessarily have to look outward for sources of inspiration…the ultimate, most relentless, inspirational force lies within us, beating in our chest, sustaining our very life – our heart!’ ‘What if we approached life’s challenges ad setbacks just as our hearts continuously strive to meet the demands of our bodies – unrelenting and with constant effort and action, even in dire circumstances?’ The Heart Way!
Combining his life struggles and successes with very sound guidance about heart health and care, Dr. Lima provides a book that is inspirational in many forms: spiritual, psychological, physical – and ‘heart’ful! Reading his book is a very deep breath of fresh air in a world where healthcare appears to becoming ‘distant’ - more hi-tech, telemedicine, EMR etc oriented. This is a volume that should be required reading for medical students and other healthcare professionals in training, as well as a comforting bedside table book for us all. Very highly recommended.
New York author Brian Lima, MD earned is degree in Chemistry from Cornell University, his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, has published articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, The American Journal of Cardiology, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and is the director of Cardiac Transplantation at The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital located at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. He is an authority on advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support devices that are surgically implanted to help provide full heart support for people with advanced heart failure. HEART TO BEAT is his literary debut.
This absorbing and fascinating biography is Dr. Lima’s mission to encourage and coach each of us to follow our dream. As a member of a Cuban immigrant family, at age 10 he experienced his father’s heart attack and survival and that incident initiated his conviction to make a difference in the world of heart care. Despite the odds against him he dedicatedly devoted his path through extensive education to become not only a renowned cardiac transplant expert, but even more important, to touch lives of his patients and their families with true caring, educating them and informing them to prepare in a most supportive manner for possible complications. He is the epitome of the compassionate, caring, and warmly communicative physician.
The quality of Dr Lima’s writing mirrors his approach to sharing his life as a pattern to success. Early on he states, ‘Like it or not, life is a contact sport, and you really have to be all in it to win it. If you’re not in it to win it, there’s always plenty of room at the kids’ table. This realization begs the question: how do we prepare for or cope with the inevitable failures and disappointments that come our way…we may not necessarily have to look outward for sources of inspiration…the ultimate, most relentless, inspirational force lies within us, beating in our chest, sustaining our very life – our heart!’ ‘What if we approached life’s challenges ad setbacks just as our hearts continuously strive to meet the demands of our bodies – unrelenting and with constant effort and action, even in dire circumstances?’ The Heart Way!
Combining his life struggles and successes with very sound guidance about heart health and care, Dr. Lima provides a book that is inspirational in many forms: spiritual, psychological, physical – and ‘heart’ful! Reading his book is a very deep breath of fresh air in a world where healthcare appears to becoming ‘distant’ - more hi-tech, telemedicine, EMR etc oriented. This is a volume that should be required reading for medical students and other healthcare professionals in training, as well as a comforting bedside table book for us all. Very highly recommended.
July 5, 2020
The Heart Way is always the Right Way.
Dr. Lima is a living proof that you are the only one responsible for your life. The heart way along with the pure fact of: “When there is a will, there is a way” will unleash your true potential and reignite the importance of focusing on what really matters. Dr. Lima’s heart way is the most effective way to prove that slow and steady wins the race as there is no quick fix for your life.
You must step out the mediocre life and start fulfilling your dreams as there is no “success-on-demand”. This book will help you in eliminating your doubts and go beyond your limitations (if there is a real limitation), by recalling the fact that “You are the master of your life”.
Dr. Lima unfolded his story by sharing his own peaks and valleys; he outlined his own life using the heart way thus creating his own stamina. I believed in the truth of whenever an individual feels that he/ she has reached his full potentials, he/ she has probably scratched the surface of his/ her true potentials. The author encourages us to be ambitious, do not settle for the “just enough” mindset as it is too little and will not uplift “You”.
One of the biggest insights I got from this book was to put my full effort into whatever I am striving for no matter what other people say I can or cannot do.
Highly recommended reading.
Dr. Lima is a living proof that you are the only one responsible for your life. The heart way along with the pure fact of: “When there is a will, there is a way” will unleash your true potential and reignite the importance of focusing on what really matters. Dr. Lima’s heart way is the most effective way to prove that slow and steady wins the race as there is no quick fix for your life.
You must step out the mediocre life and start fulfilling your dreams as there is no “success-on-demand”. This book will help you in eliminating your doubts and go beyond your limitations (if there is a real limitation), by recalling the fact that “You are the master of your life”.
Dr. Lima unfolded his story by sharing his own peaks and valleys; he outlined his own life using the heart way thus creating his own stamina. I believed in the truth of whenever an individual feels that he/ she has reached his full potentials, he/ she has probably scratched the surface of his/ her true potentials. The author encourages us to be ambitious, do not settle for the “just enough” mindset as it is too little and will not uplift “You”.
One of the biggest insights I got from this book was to put my full effort into whatever I am striving for no matter what other people say I can or cannot do.
Highly recommended reading.
July 26, 2023
Omg i was so bored. I had to skip about 80 pages in order to be able to finish it.
To be fair, it wasn’t what I was expecting.
Furthermore, I really didn’t enjoy his way of writing and he seemed very cocky to me.
Even when he was talking about medecine itself and not his own life I was bored despite the fact that it is what I was looking for in the first place !
I definitely regret picking this up and only finished it bc I had a physical copy.
To be fair, it wasn’t what I was expecting.
Furthermore, I really didn’t enjoy his way of writing and he seemed very cocky to me.
Even when he was talking about medecine itself and not his own life I was bored despite the fact that it is what I was looking for in the first place !
I definitely regret picking this up and only finished it bc I had a physical copy.
August 15, 2020
It inspires you to fight for your dreams
December 10, 2019
"Heart to Beat" is the dual-combo book from Dr. Brian Lima, written as both an autobiography and self-help for his readers. Dr. Lima is from a Cuban family who defected from Cuba during Castro’s communist reign. Growing up in New Jersey, Lima learned many life lessons from his parents at home, as well as his friends and coaches at school; enough life stories to fill a book. In each chapter, he highlights a different key moment from his life that has resulted in his current success. Being of Cuban descent, it would be believable to imagine that he wouldn’t amount to much. Thanks to wise words from his father that helped fuel his desire throughout the rest of his life, he has amounted to more than many people. Throughout the retelling of his life stories, he desires to stress to his readers that there will be hard times in life, but how the situations are handled will make all the difference – never give up! Lima could have easily decided that his dreams were too high and to try for something more attainable, but he knew what he wanted, and he stuck to his guns and made it happen. Dr. Lima is a wonderful role model for the youth of today, and the advice he graciously gives his readers will help them succeed in their current and future endeavors.
Brian Lima gives much heartfelt advice and speaks from the heart when recounting his nostalgic memories of his childhood and past. Lima’s stories are both calming and exciting at the same time. He writes them in a personable tone of voice, with modern-day language and comical commentary. Reading his story makes for an easy page-turner, as you will be wondering what will be happening next in the story being told, as well as what his next major life advice will be. For anyone to achieve any type of success in the field of medicine is a major feat, but Dr. Lima has taken his success above and beyond and has made a life-changing difference in a multitude of people’s lives. With this great success comes great responsibility, and Dr. Lima is not shy to let any and everyone know what he has to go through on the job, not just in technical terms, but in social terms as well, dealing with bedside manner with the patients. He adorns his reader with tips that he has learned to help you increase your odds of a favorable future. Perseverance, commitment, and high self-esteem are all necessary traits to develop and continue to grow for anyone in any field of work.
Brian Lima gives much heartfelt advice and speaks from the heart when recounting his nostalgic memories of his childhood and past. Lima’s stories are both calming and exciting at the same time. He writes them in a personable tone of voice, with modern-day language and comical commentary. Reading his story makes for an easy page-turner, as you will be wondering what will be happening next in the story being told, as well as what his next major life advice will be. For anyone to achieve any type of success in the field of medicine is a major feat, but Dr. Lima has taken his success above and beyond and has made a life-changing difference in a multitude of people’s lives. With this great success comes great responsibility, and Dr. Lima is not shy to let any and everyone know what he has to go through on the job, not just in technical terms, but in social terms as well, dealing with bedside manner with the patients. He adorns his reader with tips that he has learned to help you increase your odds of a favorable future. Perseverance, commitment, and high self-esteem are all necessary traits to develop and continue to grow for anyone in any field of work.
March 19, 2024
Dr Lima was a travel surgeon who worked with my husband at Essentia in Duluth MN. His was a fun story to read.
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