
Open Heart
The Transformational Journey of a Doctor Who, After Bypass Surgery at 61, Ran Marathons and Climbed Mountains
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Akil Taher
-
By:
-
Akil Taher MD
About this listen
Angioplasty at 56, open-heart surgery at 61, and running his first half-marathon less than a year later. This is the remarkable and inspiring story of Dr. Akil Taher who transformed from a middle-aged couch potato with a dangerously bad diet into a vital, energetic athlete, ever seeking new challenges and adventures.
In this audiobook, Dr. Taher relates the journey of his transformation—how even as a physician who knew better, he led an unhealthy lifestyle, how he ignored the warnings of his heart disease and other chronic ailments, and how after his bypass surgery he set out to radically change his life to heal his body and his spirit. Training for and competing in his first half-marathon was only the start. In compelling detail, he recounts his running in the Chicago, Boston, and Mumbai Marathons, his pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and his first triathlon and 100-mile bike race.
More importantly, Dr. Taher also discusses the enormous role diet plays in preventing as well as recovering from heart disease as well as other chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease. Citing reputable sources and using his own diet and health as examples, he guides the listener away from a diet heavy in meat, dairy, eggs, and sugar and proposes healthier eating—and living—that is grounded in a whole-food, plant-based diet.
Open Heart is an essential listen for anyone eager to change unhealthy lifestyle choices and embrace the excitement of a vibrant new life.
©2021 Akil Taher (P)2022 Akil TaherListeners also enjoyed...
-
Open Heart
- A Cardiac Surgeon's Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
- By: Stephen Westaby
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In gripping prose, one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons lays bare both the wonder and the horror of a life spent a heartbeat away from death. When Stephen Westaby witnessed a patient die on the table during open-heart surgery for the first time, he was struck by the quiet, determined way the surgeons walked away. As he soon understood, this detachment is a crucial survival strategy in a profession where death is only a heartbeat away. In Open Heart, Westaby reflects on over 11,000 surgeries, showing us why the procedures have never become routine and will never be.
-
-
Fascinating!
- By Jason on 03-09-19
By: Stephen Westaby
-
The Oldest Cure in the World
- Adventures in the Art and Science of Fasting
- By: Steve Hendricks
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One in ten American adults tried intermittent fasting last year, and they may be on to something. The latest research shows that fasting repairs cellular damage, improves the outcomes for chemotherapy patients, and helps with keeping a healthy weight, leading to a resurgence in recent years. Journalist Steve Hendricks’s The Oldest Cure in the World tells the history of fasting—from the ancient world (Jesus treated an epileptic with fasting) to its rediscovery centuries later.
-
-
Great history, light on the science
- By Dvdmon on 09-16-22
By: Steve Hendricks
-
Undo It!
- How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases
- By: Dean Ornish M.D., Anne Ornish
- Narrated by: Dean Ornish M.D., Anne Ornish
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and even the aging process itself with one simple, scientifically proven plan to reverse disease - as well as prevent and reduce symptoms - from the world-renowned pioneer of lifestyle medicine.
-
-
Surprisingly awful
- By Nicole K. on 03-22-19
By: Dean Ornish M.D., and others
-
How Not to Diet
- The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss
- By: Michael Greger MD FACLM
- Narrated by: Michael Greger MD FACLM
- Length: 23 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the cutting-edge science behind long-term weight loss success in this powerful new audiobook from the New York Times best-selling author of How Not to Die.
-
-
Content Fantastic. Author is UNLISTENABLE!
- By Alan N. on 12-12-19
-
Sex at Dawn
- How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships
- By: Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jetha
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson, Jonathan Davis, Christopher Ryan (Preface)
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science - as well as religious and cultural institutions - has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing....
-
-
Strawmen and Ad Hominems
- By Carolyn on 09-18-12
By: Christopher Ryan, and others
-
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure
- By: Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. MD, T. Colin Campbell - foreword
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the groundbreaking results of his twenty-year nutritional study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. Dr. Esselstyn is an internationally known surgeon, researcher and former clinician at the Cleveland Clinic and a featured expert in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has helped thousands across the country, and is the book behind Bill Clinton’s life-changing vegan diet.
-
-
The way to nutritional excellence
- By Alex Urena on 04-07-25
By: Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. MD, and others
-
Open Heart
- A Cardiac Surgeon's Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
- By: Stephen Westaby
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In gripping prose, one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons lays bare both the wonder and the horror of a life spent a heartbeat away from death. When Stephen Westaby witnessed a patient die on the table during open-heart surgery for the first time, he was struck by the quiet, determined way the surgeons walked away. As he soon understood, this detachment is a crucial survival strategy in a profession where death is only a heartbeat away. In Open Heart, Westaby reflects on over 11,000 surgeries, showing us why the procedures have never become routine and will never be.
-
-
Fascinating!
- By Jason on 03-09-19
By: Stephen Westaby
-
The Oldest Cure in the World
- Adventures in the Art and Science of Fasting
- By: Steve Hendricks
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One in ten American adults tried intermittent fasting last year, and they may be on to something. The latest research shows that fasting repairs cellular damage, improves the outcomes for chemotherapy patients, and helps with keeping a healthy weight, leading to a resurgence in recent years. Journalist Steve Hendricks’s The Oldest Cure in the World tells the history of fasting—from the ancient world (Jesus treated an epileptic with fasting) to its rediscovery centuries later.
-
-
Great history, light on the science
- By Dvdmon on 09-16-22
By: Steve Hendricks
-
Undo It!
- How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases
- By: Dean Ornish M.D., Anne Ornish
- Narrated by: Dean Ornish M.D., Anne Ornish
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and even the aging process itself with one simple, scientifically proven plan to reverse disease - as well as prevent and reduce symptoms - from the world-renowned pioneer of lifestyle medicine.
-
-
Surprisingly awful
- By Nicole K. on 03-22-19
By: Dean Ornish M.D., and others
-
How Not to Diet
- The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss
- By: Michael Greger MD FACLM
- Narrated by: Michael Greger MD FACLM
- Length: 23 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the cutting-edge science behind long-term weight loss success in this powerful new audiobook from the New York Times best-selling author of How Not to Die.
-
-
Content Fantastic. Author is UNLISTENABLE!
- By Alan N. on 12-12-19
-
Sex at Dawn
- How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships
- By: Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jetha
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson, Jonathan Davis, Christopher Ryan (Preface)
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science - as well as religious and cultural institutions - has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing....
-
-
Strawmen and Ad Hominems
- By Carolyn on 09-18-12
By: Christopher Ryan, and others
-
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure
- By: Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. MD, T. Colin Campbell - foreword
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the groundbreaking results of his twenty-year nutritional study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. Dr. Esselstyn is an internationally known surgeon, researcher and former clinician at the Cleveland Clinic and a featured expert in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has helped thousands across the country, and is the book behind Bill Clinton’s life-changing vegan diet.
-
-
The way to nutritional excellence
- By Alex Urena on 04-07-25
By: Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. MD, and others
-
Stay Off My Operating Table
- A Heart Surgeon’s Metabolic Health Guide to Lose Weight, Prevent Disease, and Feel Your Best Every Day
- By: Philip Ovadia
- Narrated by: Philip Ovadia
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most diet books teach you to set short-term weight loss goals. Whether low-carb or low-fat, the typical plan goes like this: restrict your food choices, exercise until exhaustion, and swallow stacks of supplements. These “solutions” do a better job of lightening your wallet than lightening you. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry fails to prevent chronic disease. Rather than showing people how to remain healthy and prevent illness through proper nutrition, the system offers drugs and surgery to manage symptoms.
-
-
Good broad stroke information, but ended as a commercial for his business.
- By Urban Yogi on 04-02-22
By: Philip Ovadia
-
The China Study, Revised and Expanded Edition
- The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health
- By: T. Colin Campbell PhD, Thomas M. Campbell II MD
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 18 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 30 years ago, nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell and his team at Cornell University, in partnership with teams in China and England, embarked upon the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. What they found, when combined with findings in Campbell's laboratory, opened their eyes to the dangers of a diet high in animal protein and the unparalleled health benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet.
-
-
Great, but need PDF with exhibits
- By Chris on 05-29-17
By: T. Colin Campbell PhD, and others
-
Outlive
- The Science and Art of Longevity
- By: Peter Attia MD, Bill Gifford - contributor
- Narrated by: Peter Attia MD
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.
-
-
Too Much Filler
- By J. Badaracco on 04-09-23
By: Peter Attia MD, and others
-
Medical Medium Brain Saver
- Answers to Brain Inflammation, Mental Health, OCD, Brain Fog, Neurological Symptoms, Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Heavy Metals, Epstein-Barr Virus, Seizures, Lyme, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Autoimmune & Eating Disorders
- By: Anthony William
- Narrated by: Sarah Coomes
- Length: 29 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first of two essential books about our most complex organ—the BRAIN—dives deep into why people all over the world are suffering with mental health and brain-related symptoms and conditions, and explains what to do to finally heal. Brain Saver unveils the why behind more than 100 brain- and nervous system-related symptoms, diseases, and disorders; Protocols reveals the truth about how to heal in even more detail.
-
-
Life saving and life improving information
- By BS on 01-16-23
By: Anthony William
-
Eat for Life
- The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss
- By: Joel Fuhrman
- Narrated by: Joel Fuhrman, Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eat for Life is the first book to showcase Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Diet in full - the most practical, balanced, and focused way to eat, lose weight, and live longer. Emphasizing high-nutrient, whole plant foods that supply abundant amounts of micronutrients, it can broken down into a simple equation: H = N/C. Or, Health = Nutrient intake per Calorie consumed.
-
-
The End of Suffering!
- By Rixfmly on 03-10-20
By: Joel Fuhrman
-
The Fiber Fueled Cookbook
- Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health
- By: Will Bulsiewicz MD
- Narrated by: Barrett Leddy, Will Bulsiewicz MD
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, or “Dr. B,” introduced listeners to the wonders of fiber with the New York Times bestseller Fiber Fueled—a guide to optimizing the gut microbiome, sharpening immunity, lowering cholesterol, and promoting weight loss through a diet rich in diverse fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Rather than restriction, Dr. B’s solution is abundance and variety. Now he applies all the principles of the Fiber Fueled diet in a cookbook that’s as beautiful as it is practical.
-
-
One of the best plant-based nutrition books
- By Amazon Customer on 05-24-22
-
The Starch Solution
- Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!
- By: John McDougall, Mary McDougall
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Atkins to Dukan, fear of the almighty carb has taken over the diet industry for the past few decades - even the mere mention of a starch-heavy food is enough to trigger an avalanche of shame and longing. But the truth is, carbs are not the enemy. Now, best-selling author John A. McDougall, MD, and his kitchen-savvy wife, Mary, prove that a starch-rich diet can actually help us lose weight, prevent a variety of ills, and even cure common diseases.
-
-
Great For Vegetarians Looking to Improve Health
- By Hodges Fam on 07-06-17
By: John McDougall, and others
-
The Sprout Book
- Tap into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food
- By: Doug Evans
- Narrated by: Doug Evans, Jonathan Todd Ross, Kathryn Carroll
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Sprout Book is a transformative plan to empower listeners to embark on a plant-based way of eating that’s low-cost and accessible. With a foreword by Joel Fuhrman, MD, this book introduces sprouts, one of the most nutritious sustainable foods on earth, by adding a few dishes to a diet and then shifting into a raw, whole foods plant-based diet.
-
-
where is the PDF?
- By Ann Alpert on 01-03-21
By: Doug Evans
-
The Comfort Crisis
- Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self
- By: Michael Easter
- Narrated by: Michael Easter
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.
-
-
Couldn’t finish it
- By Laura H. on 06-06-23
By: Michael Easter
-
The Vegan Starter Kit
- Everything You Need to Know About Plant-Based Eating
- By: Neal D Barnard MD MD FACC
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading medical authority Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, shows you how to put the power of a vegan diet to work with an easy, step-by-step approach.
-
-
Great book, but really short.
- By Amazon Customer on 03-20-19
-
Do No Harm
- Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery
- By: Henry Marsh
- Narrated by: Jim Barclay
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With compassion and candor, leading neurosurgeon Henry Marsh reveals the fierce joy of operating, the profoundly moving triumphs, the harrowing disasters, the haunting regrets, and the moments of black humor that characterize a brain surgeon's life. If you believe that brain surgery is a precise and exquisite craft, practiced by calm and detached surgeons, this gripping, brutally honest account will make you think again.
-
-
Uneven
- By Scott on 06-02-15
By: Henry Marsh
-
Fast This Way
- Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be
- By: Dave Asprey
- Narrated by: Dave Asprey
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dave Asprey has been fasting for years, long before it gained widespread popularity. In Fast This Way, Dave asks listeners to forget everything they think they know about the ancient practice and takes them on a journey through cutting-edge science to examine the ways novice fasters and Intermittent Fasting loyalists can up-end their relationship with food and upgrade their fasting game beyond calorie restriction.
-
-
Good read even if you already fast
- By Anonymous User on 01-31-21
By: Dave Asprey
Critic reviews
"Dr. Taher‘s remarkable journey from doctor to bypass patient to conquering Mount Kilimanjaro is an inspiration, and in this remarkable book he shares everything you need to conquer your own challenges." (Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, adjunct professor of medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine, and New York Times best-selling author)
What listeners say about Open Heart
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Reviewing Customer
- 10-21-24
Excellent, Helpful and Inspirational!
This is a must have for anyone with health issues, especially cardiovascular. Dr. Taher shows you how he went from the operating room to marathons, climb mountains and other feats by complimenting his knowledge of medicine and whole foods plant based living. His results speak for themselves and he also spends a lot of time giving back and helping others learn things to achieve results in their lives. If you or a loved one are not sure what to do with heart issues it would be wise to hear his story. It is also very inspirational!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ali
- 03-26-24
Enlightening
This is a splendid account of a cardiologist's transformation after his open-heart surgery. It is a message of health and healing from a medical doctor who, late in life, attains the wisdom of spiritual and medical healing. A journey from the bloody operating table to becoming a marathon runner, mountain climber, and the kindest husband, father, and grandfather. I went through quintuple open heart surgery at the age of 61 and discovered the six pillars of reversing heart ailment from Dr. Taher's book. Thank you, kind doctor.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sunny Side Cafe
- 03-19-23
Wonderful book
Excellent read. Authentic and well researched. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone. Will gift your book , to family & friends. Blessings
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary
- 06-29-24
Outstanding book
This book can be life-changing, not only or those with adverse heart conditions, but for everyone. It is beautifully written and read. I highly recommend this book -and the medical knowledge and depth of caring for people’s health from the Dr. who wrote this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- P. Latella
- 04-06-23
self-indulgent and boring
this guy just goes on and on and on and on about himself and how wonderful he is and all the things that he did over and over and over again I got halfway through it and I had to stop I want my money back this is awful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!