In The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery and Mystery, Rob Dunn considers the heart, from early scientific inquiries by Galen and Leonardo Da Vinci to the birth of cardiology (from a bar room brawl). Along the way, he writes of the creative—and sometimes tragic—ways that scientists and surgeons have sought to mend the maladies of the “neediest muscle in the body.” Read an excerpt here.

Plus, if matters of the heart move you, share these science-themed Valentines with that special someone.