When Breath Becomes Air

#1"NEWYORKTIMES"BESTSELLERForreadersofAtulGawande，AndrewSolomon，andAnneLamott，thisinspiring，exquisitelyobservedmemoirfindshopeandbeautyinthefaceofinsurmountableoddsasanidealisticyoungneurosurgeonattemptstoanswerthequestion"Whatmakesalifeworthliving?"Attheageofthirty-six，onthevergeofcompletingadecadesworthoftrainingasaneurosurgeon，PaulKalanithiwasdiagnosedwithstageIVlungcancer.Onedayhewasadoctortreatingthedying，andthenexthewasapatientstrugglingtolive.Andjustlikethat，thefutureheandhiswifehadimaginedevaporated."WhenBreathBecomesAir"chroniclesKalanithistransformationfromanaivemedicalstudentpossessed，ashewrote，bythequestionofwhat，giventhatallorganismsdie，makesavirtuousandmeaningfullifeintoaneurosurgeonatStanfordworkinginthebrain，themostcriticalplaceforhumanidentity，andfinallyintoapatientandnewfatherconfrontinghisownmortality.Whatmakeslifeworthlivinginthefaceofdeath?Whatdoyoudowhenthefuture，nolongeraladdertowardyourgoalsinlife，flattensoutintoaperpetualpresent?Whatdoesitmeantohaveachild，tonurtureanewlifeasanotherfadesaway?ThesearesomeofthequestionsKalanithiwrestleswithinthisprofoundlymoving，exquisitelyobservedmemoir.PaulKalanithidiedinMarch2015，whileworkingonthisbook，yethiswordsliveonasaguideandagifttousall.Ibegantorealizethatcomingfacetofacewithmyownmortality，inasense，hadchangednothingandeverything，hewrote.SevenwordsfromSamuelBeckettbegantorepeatinmyhead:Icantgoon.Illgoon."WhenBreathBecomesAir"isanunforgettable，life-affirmingreflectiononthechallengeoffacingdeathandontherelationshipbetweendoctorandpatient，fromabrilliantwriterwhobecameboth.Praisefor"WhenBreathBecomesAir"Iguaranteethatfinishingthisbookandthenforgettingaboutitissimplynotanoption....Partofthisbookstremendousimpactcomesfromtheobviousfactthatitsauthorwassuchabrilliantpolymath.Andpartcomesfromthewayheconveyswhathappenedtohimpassionatelyworkingandstriving，deferringgratification，waitingtolive，learningtodiesowell.Noneofitismaudlin.Nothingisexaggerated.Ashewrotetoafriend:Itsjusttragicenoughandjustimaginableenough.Andjustimportantenoughtobeunmissable.JanetMaslin，"TheNewYorkTimes"Anemotionalinvestmentwellworthmaking:amovingandthoughtfulmemoiroffamily，medicineandliterature.Itis，despiteitsgrimundertone，accidentallyinspiring."TheWashingtonPost"PossessesthegravityandwisdomofanancientGreektragedy...[Kalanithi]delivershischronicleinaustere，beautifulprose.Thebookbrimswithinsightfulreflectionsonmortalitythatareespeciallypoignantcomingfromatrainedphysicianfamiliarwithwhatliesahead."TheBostonGlobe"Devastatingandspectacular...[Kalanithi]issolikeable，sorelatable，andsohumble，thatyoubecomeimmersedinhisworldandforgetwhereitsallheading."USAToday"Its[Kalanithis]unsentimentalapproachthatmakes"WhenBreathBecomesAir"sooriginalandsodevastating....Itsonlyfaultisthatthebook，likehislife，endsmuchtooearly."EntertainmentWeekly"Splitmyheadopenwithitsbeauty.CherylStrayed"