Book details
WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR
by Paul Kalanithi
2016 · Random House
About the book
Paul Kalanithi was a neurosurgical resident nearing the end of his decade-long training when he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. This memoir chronicles his sudden transition from the physician who operates on the brain to the patient lying on the gurney. Kalanithi recounts his academic background in literature and medicine, searching for the intersection between biology and human meaning. He details the physical realities of aggressive chemotherapy, the technical precision of brain surgery, and the difficult decision to father a child while facing a terminal prognosis.
Medical professionals and those facing chronic illness read this book to understand the clinical and personal realities of mortality. It provides a direct look at the healthcare system from both sides of the needle. The reader finishes the text with a clear perspective on how people construct a meaningful life when their time is limited. It offers a framework for balancing professional ambition with physical fragility, focusing on the specific choices made during the final stages of a life.
Details
- Published
- 2016
- Publisher
- Random House
- ISBN
- 9780812988406
- Language
- EN