This book deals with heart failure in all its aspects, in- cluding chapters relating to receptor physiology and patho- physiological mechanisms, ventricular function and its assessment and the clinical aspects of heart failure in ischemic heart failure, cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease and the timing of valve replacement. The pharmaco- therapyof heart failure deals with inotropic drugs, ACE in- hibitors, nitrates and calcium antagonists. Extending into the newer interventional techniques and surgical techniques the book includes chapters on balloon valvuloplasty, thepo- tential use of the laser, the Jarvik artificial heart, car- diomyoplasty, left ventriculoplasty and heart and heart/lung transplantation.