What is the impulse that starts our hearts when we are born? And what keeps them beating? As both a skilled cardiologist and a humanist, Dr. Dhaval R. Patel contemplates this mystery in his new memoir, The Impulse of Energy. Diagnosed with ALS in 2020, Patel was forced to radically alter his lifestyle and adapt to the pernicious and degenerative affects of his disease. With candor and immediacy, he shares his process of adaptation. But far from being simply a lament over what has been lost, The Impulse of Energy counts the gains and demonstrates the profound vitality of memory. Patel conjures up seminal moments from his life- from childhood to the present- as he generously opens up his treasure box of memories for the reader. The Impulse of Energy demonstrates that when all else fails, it is our memories that regulate our hearts, keeping our heads above the waves and reminding us that, even in the wake of unimaginable difficulties, ours is still a life worth living.