Climbing Mountains - The Journey to Beat the World's Biggest Killer

Climbing Mountains - The Journey to Beat the World's Biggest Killer

“Dr Salim Yusuf achieved remarkable success as a physician, scientist, clinical trialist and world health advocate.  His career journey is indeed inspirational and should serve as a roadmap for any young medical researcher with talent, ambition, a vision and drive.” David L. DeMets, PhD, Max Halperin Emeritus Professor of Biostatistics' University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA 

“One of the premier scientists of our times.” Dr Marc Pfeffer, Dzau Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

This is the first biography of one of the world’s leading clinical researchers, Dr. Salim Yusuf. This book relates the powerful story of how ordinary doctors from across the globe, fuelled by friendship and altruism, transformed the field of clinical research and discovered new treatments for heart disease and stroke which save millions of lives every year. 

Dr James Mathew is a cardiologist who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has known Dr Salim Yusuf for thirty-five years. He published a book of literature and philosophy, Book of Books: Pearls from the Stream of Time with Kent Bicknell, Libri Publishing, 2021. He has presented papers at the Annual Gatherings of the Thoreau Society in Concord, and the Annual Conference of the American Literature Association in Boston. He has published articles on Henry D. Thoreau and Ralph W. Emerson. Dr Denis Xavier is a Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology, and Head of the Division of Clinical Research at St. John's Research Institute, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, India. He has studied under and collaborated with Dr Salim Yusuf for over twenty years. He has published extensively in prestigious scientific journals.

What worldwide reviewers are saying on Amazon:

‘Climbing Mountains by James Mathew and Denis Xavier is an engaging, educational, and deeply personal biography. I really appreciate how the medical story is written in such an accessible way for readers like me who are not in the medical field. The writers have provided easy-to-understand descriptions and definitions of the medical terms and processes that come up throughout the book.’

‘An excellent read from start to finish. Highly recommended. Separated into easy-to-read sections, the book follows Dr Yusuf’s story from beginning to present day and kept me engaged throughout.’

‘The authors of Climbing Mountains have produced an extraordinary work of biography and science while maintaining the readability of a storybook. If you have read it once, consider reading it again—layers of meaning and themes that may have escaped you on the first reading are likely to reveal themselves.’

‘Having known Dr. Salim Yusuf personally for many years, I found Climbing Mountains to be both inspiring and deeply authentic... The authors deserve credit for capturing not only his extraordinary professional achievements but also the character, values, and humanity behind them. Whether you’re in medicine or simply looking for an inspiring life story, this is a book well worth reading.’

‘Remarkable book... I recommend all health care workers to read this book.’

‘The book… is an excellent motivational story. Mountains are not merely physical peaks. They represent the immense challenges of human health… and the vast distances between ideas and impact. Dr. Salim Yusuf’s life is a story of climbing such mountains, not alone, but with a global network of fellow travellers.’

‘What makes his story especially instructive is not only the scale of the achievement but the method behind it.... Yusuf’s life offers a quiet, powerful answer: the mountain is climbed not by the most gifted, but by those who refuse to stop, and who are wise enough not to climb alone.’

The book's story, as well as its title, serves as a powerful reminder that there is no easier path to success than hard work and perseverance. In a poignant scene, "shortly before dusk," the subject of the biography reflects: "I suffered numerous failures for every success."

‘This book is a genre I am not familiar with, and it has inspired me to read more biographies, which I think is due to the excellent writing and engaging storytelling. I think it will be a fascinating read for people both in and outside the medical field.’