As pointed out by Valentin Fuster in his foreword, this book most likely presented its publisher with an uncommon problem in classification. It is not a new textbook in cardiology; more than anything else, it is a work of love.
Jesse E. Edwards has been a principal actor in the scene of modern pediatric cardiology, as evidenced by the general reference list for this book, wherein 98 of the 198 references cited were authored by Edwards himself. Indeed, he co-founded the discipline of cardiac pathology, with a specific predilection for congenital heart diseases, in one of the main academic institutions dedicated to the study and practice of cardiovascular medicine. During his 50 years in practice, first at the Mayo Clinic and then at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, Dr. Edwards has been one of the most respected and quoted authors on the subject of congenital heart pathology.
From his earliest report on common cardiac malformations to his most sophisticated discussions of complex (and still poorly understood) anomalies, Edwards has been continually present, with his consistently popular style. He has been, above all, a morphologist, interested in presenting a faithful and comprehensive description of any anomaly. His approach, as manifested in his classic diagrams, is primarily didactic.
Such illustrations, of which the present book includes over 200, tend to be more conceptual than detailed, subordinating verisimilitude to simplicity. Edwards has intentionally avoided morphogenetic interpretations and abstract taxonomic discussions. As a descriptive anatomist, he is chiefly interested in providing clear, practical information to the cardiovascular surgeon.
The present book, therefore, is essentially a wonderful collection of most of Edwards's illustrations, which have been published over the last 50 years. Medical illustrator Robert Benasi has provided technical collaboration, and Edwards's son, Dr. Brooks S. Edwards, and his daughter-in-law, Dr. Terri Edwards, have contributed editorial support.
Evidently, the authors and production team decided to avoid writing a full, updated textbook and instead chose to present the jewels (that is, the illustrations) with only enough text to organize them. At times, obsolete concepts and information are reported. Embryologic insight (which can be useful but tricky) is often omitted. Unfortunately, there is no attempt to correlate anatomic observations obtained in a necrotic specimen with images obtained by means of techniques now available in clinical practice, such as angiography, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The text, too, is inconsistent in its treatment of clinically relevant issues.
Nevertheless, this book is a delightful piece of history, celebrating again one of the main stars of our firmament, who will continue to illuminate the medical community for many years to come.