One in a hundred babies is born with a heart defect. Until the mid-1950s, most died, but now, thanks to children's heart surgery, almost all can survive.

This is the story – told by an insider – of how advances in surgery changed the odds.

Australian heart surgeon Tim Cartmill AO was trained by some of the pioneers to save thousands of lives of newborns and children with heart defects. In turn, Tim has helped teach generations of heart surgeons around the world.

In this autobiography, Tim writes of his "lucky" rural childhood and education, his advanced training in Sydney and the US, and his contributions to surgery in the last half of the 20th Century.

Understanding Life Backwards, a Children's Cardiac Surgeon Reflects, is also a reflection on the value of teamwork, teaching and mentorship, the roles of colleagues, family and friends in a busy professional life, and the "many satisfactions" of life in retirement.