Remarkable, beautifully written book about 36 year old Neurosurgeon's quest for spiritual clarity becomes more than philosophical when he gets terminal cancer

When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalinithi, author; Cassandra Campbell, Sunil Malhotra, narrators

Paul Kalinithi loved literature and planned a career in academia. When he visited a home for brain injured patients who were abandoned by their families, he was deeply affected and his direction in life changed dramatically. He had never considered a career in medicine, although many family members were physicians, but now he reversed course and decided to pursue a future in neuroscience. This is the story of his brave fight to become a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist in spite of a terrible medical diagnosis that would change his life.
Even though Paul Kalinithi wanted to put a happy face on the way he faced and dealt with his disease, his terminal cancer, and the reader may greatly respect his effort and honor his life, it will be hard to justify his suffering. He had so much to live for and so much to give to the world of science and patient care, until life intervened in a way he would never have anticipated. Suddenly, he would not only have to decide how to live out the rest of his life, but how also, to face his coming death. We all are born with an expiration date, but most of us are unaware of when it will be. Paul now knew that his time was not only limited, but also very finite, and his activities and training would now be cut short, as well.
It seemed so terribly unfair that after years of study, after perfecting his techniques for neurosurgery, after his career in neuroscience began to show such promise, that he would be cut down too soon, before he would have the opportunity to hone his skills further and educate others about the way in which science, medicine and compassion could be combined to provide a more sensitive and realistic approach to patient care, an approach in which the doctor did not have to become maudlin or overly dramatic, overly hopeful or the opposite, overly terrifying, when approaching a terminal patient to explain the prognosis for the disease’s progression. He wanted patients to understand what they would face in their future, depending on their choice of treatment, by putting the most positive face on a negative outlook, but keeping the outlook real so that the family and friends of the patient were also aware of what awaited them as they went forward. He was now forced to live with that philosophy.
All life choice decisions are difficult to deal with and are very personal in nature. How we choose to live and how we choose to die is often left to chance. I have always felt that when illness strikes, you are still the same person, just that person with more information. However, when the diagnosis comes back as you hope it never will, is it then possible to maintain such a Pollyanna attitude? Paul Kalinithi proved that, he could practice what he preached. Although he struggled at times, it was possible to conduct his life as if it would continue, albeit, perhaps not that far into the future.
Is our quality of life important or our length of life? Do we want to be attached to machines or do we want to have palliative care so that we are comfortable, or do we want to be tethered to the bed by the tools of medical intervention. Paul Kalinithi wanted all patients to learn how to live, and how to die, but foremost, he wanted them to understand how they could live with even the worst diagnoses with some hope so they could face whatever bit of future remained, so they would simply not give up and lay down and die. He wanted them to understand what they would face so they could make a rational decision for whatever time remained.
He wanted desperately to finish this book since his first love had been literature, even before medicine and science. In the end, he did not, although I found it complete in its message. His wife Lucy, also a doctor, an internist, closes the book for him. She was aware of what his diagnosis meant and understood the difficult path they would face together. She reviews his purpose, his courage and his kindness. She illuminates his unique combination of bravery, intelligence and compassion. He was ever hopeful and instilled that hope in his friends and family. He hoped his child would someday think of him and understand what he was trying to do with his life and with this book.
I found some of the data in the book to be a bit too much information, a bit too upsetting, and I wondered how many people would actually manage to read it completely, even though it has received acclaim, is highly recommended and is a very worthwhile read. Although its purpose was to encourage a more positive approach to the way we face the end of our lives, it was an incredibly difficult read which I suspect will move even the most impassive person to tears. I must admit it brought me to my knees even though I tried to resist its wrenching emotional effect.

This book entered into my life on the heels of a friend and coworker's death after his battle of ALS.
It put a different perspective on terminal illness for me. I found the book to help me with a fresh perspective on the topic of death/dying. It was insightful and very thought provoking.

Truly a book everyone should read!!

A beautifully written book that explores the choices made at the end of ones life and what is meaningful. Additionally provides a very informative insiders view into our current medical system, it's strengths and flaws. discussions ranged from our medical system, to personal values, weather to donate your body and how to let go of judging others choices.

A polymath doctor, with terminal lung cancer writes his own reflection on what death means. Searingly honest, including the trouble caused to their marriage by the busy, professional life of 2 doctors. Beautiful writing, with several reflections which pull you into his world view.
“I was less driven by achievement then trying to understand...What makes human life meaningful? Literature provided the best account of the life of the mind, while neuroscience laid down the most elegant rules of the brain”

Painful epilogue, written by the author's wife, but ultimately an uplifting read, giving hope. Highly recommended.

This memoir is very medically clinical and a difficult read. Also, the age group of our club (mid 60's-70's) made the subject a bit too close to home as many of our friends and family have died of cancer.

A beautifully written and insightful tribute by a dying doctor to his newborn daughter. A life encapsulated into vignettes searching for the meaning of life. Lovely piece, depressing to some, but full of life affirming hope.

I cried so hard at the end of this book! And the ending was no surprise!

A well written memoir about a young surgeon dieing from cancer.

The author tells the story of his journey to become a neurosurgeon as he knows his life will be tragically cut short by cancer. It is a beautifully written, poignant and thought provoking story.

A beautiful memoir about living a life of meaning and dying with integrity...soul searching, and thought provoking.

Interesting and inspiring a beautiful tribute to his wife and child

It makes you think about life and review your beliefs

I wish I had liked it. I had a hard time relating. If I was in a similar situation I would put other things than my career first.

A poignant book written by a young, dying Doctor that describes his journey, compassion and faith in the unknown.

read the summary of this book on your own. Its an easy read - is sad and uplifting at the same time if that is possible. Sad because a young talent's life is ended so soon. But to read his story of going through the diagnosis and process is indeed poetic , uplifting and informative. Not many can go through this like the author did. Yet I do think there are many that do and we don't hear about it. To be able to articulate it as well as the author did and put on paper, makes one hopeful that if presented with the same situation , they might be able to have at least SOME of the qualities the author had. Good read

When Breath Becomes Air is the story of Paul Kalanithi, a doctor on the verge of finishing his neurosurgeon training, who is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. For me, the book read like a three-strand braid. The first strand was a biography of Paul starting when he was a teenager trying to discover his calling and concluding with his death. The second strand was Paul’s reflections on being a doctor and the doctor-patient relationship. The third was his philosophical quest for an understanding of what makes life meaningful and an accounting of human meaning in connection with the brain.
I enjoyed his accounting of life as a medical student and doctor in training the most. His perspective on being a doctor and his efforts to ensure that patients were viewed as people, not problems on a to-do list, were particularly revealing and insightful to me. I found his shift from being the doctor to being the patient to be profound and impactful. As one who is also suffering an illness (thankfully not as severe as Paul’s), I connected with his thoughts on and confusion about time and the future.
Through his biographical strand, I came to know Paul and mourned his death with tears of my own. Reading about his courage and dignity in the face of his own mortality was admirable. Paul’s attitude and approach to death was refreshing. His wife Lucy summarized this well in the Epilogue by stating, “Paul’s decision not to avert his eyes from death epitomizes a fortitude we don’t celebrate enough in our death-avoidant culture.”
It was his philosophical quest that I struggled with the most. He described his search for meaning based upon his reading, education, learning, training, and life. His understanding evolved with each new experience and I felt that he wrote his reflections in this same evolutionary manner. Not having had the same experiences as him, I found his revelations vague, unconnected, and lacking in clarity. I understand that Paul wrote this book under extreme time pressure and against extraordinary circumstances. I also understand that it is in essence an unfinished manuscript, however, this aspect of the story felt tedious and left me a bit bored.
I am not sure if and to whom I would recommend this book. I would not give it as an “off-the cuff” recommendation to everyone. Instead, it would be a discussion with someone on how they heard of it, why they wanted to read it, and what they hoped to gain from it that would guide my recommendation or not.

Loved hearing from a very accomplished surgeon how his perspective changed as a patient.

Well written. Enjoyed it from beginning to end.