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When Breath Becomes Air
A neurosurgeon becomes a patient and writes about what makes life worth living
2016Steady paceMelancholic
A neurosurgeon's memoir of illness
Paul Kalanithi was a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. His memoir looks at his training as a doctor and at what changed when he became a patient. It was published after his death in 2015, with a foreword by Abraham Verghese.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who enjoy narrative and idea-driven nonfiction.
More about this book
Who
Paul Kalanithi, a doctor and writer.
World
Hospitals and operating rooms, and a family's life through illness.
What makes it different
It is written by a doctor from both sides of the bed.
Feel
Reflective and moving.
Facts
Genre
Nonfiction · Medicine · Memoir · Meaning
Length
232 pages · ≈ 7 h
Also in the collection: Best Books for Nurses
Being Mortal
The Nurses
Call the Midwife
Notes on Nursing
Burnout
Cutting for Stone
A Farewell to Arms
The English Patient