Being Mortal
By Atul Gawande
★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10
263 pages
What’s it about?
This book explores, from a physician’s viewpoint, how the medical field is influencing the way our lives end- in illness and in old age.
What did it make me think about?
I cannot overstate how important I thought this book was. It was such a fascinating look at the way we make decisions for the elderly and the very ill. Dr. Atul Gawande steers us through this difficult terrain with wisdom and grace.
Should I read it?
I think this book was a must read for anyone who is dealing with aging or death. Basically, that means everyone…I felt like this book radically changed my perspective. It changed how I will frame the discussions I have with my family. How often does a book do that?
A passage I marked
That experiment has failed. If safety and protection were all we sought in life, perhaps we could conclude differently. But because we seek a life of worth and purpose, and yet are routinely denied the conditions that might make it possible, there is no other way to see what modern society has done.
