At the Heart of Medicine is a compilation of essays by David C. Sabiston, Jr., one of the great American surgeons of the twentieth century. He became Chair of Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine in 1964 and, for the next 30 years, shaped American surgery through his intellect, teaching, editorships, and leadership. His seminal research accomplishments led to the development of surgical methods to revascularize the heart and helped develop radionuclide scanning of the lungs for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolus.

Topics include Sabiston's background and early development; his views on the development of Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine; his treatises on the history of surgery; his philosophy for training students and residents in surgical medicine; revascularization of the heart and diagnosis of pulmonary embolism; and important professional issues such as professional liability, animal rights activism, and national health insurance.