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Comments (129)

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1 to 25 of 129 items
Mar 23, 2024Cbeseler rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommend this read
Oct 13, 2023emmaob98 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
SUCH a good book. Author is a neurosurgeon who dies of cancer. Book is about himself and what he's learned. His wife writes the last part where he's too sick to write anymore. There's no chapters, just mainly 2 sections. It's really easy…
Sep 18, 2023Candaceb108 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!
Aug 24, 2023BrantTeenReviewers rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Several times throughout the book, I developed an empathetic bond with the author. While his primary identity remains that of a neurosurgeon, the author, Paul, has consumed copious amounts of literature, which is reflected in his distinct…
Aug 22, 2023
This was such a well-written memoir full of contrasts: poetic but real, heavy but hopeful, sad but inspiring. The contrasts of the narrative mirror the contrasts of Dr. Kalanithi's life and death struggle - at the brink of his career as a…
Jul 29, 2023lyndasclater rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Very moving book written by a doctor who died from lung and spine cancer.
Jul 21, 2023TinaFigueroa rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Books like these are important, and Paul Kalanithi had such a beautiful way of writing about life, meaning, and death. Absolutely recommend
Jun 23, 2023
Recommended by Brian (Hinge)
Apr 05, 2023ajm31 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Another doctor demonstrating how to be selfish and stupid. He apparently didn't care about how his life choices would hurt his patients, spouse, child, and parents.
Apr 01, 2023ajm31 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
The ending is very sad and beautifully written. But as I read most of the book, I kept wondering why he was such an idiot. Surely as a doctor he must have realized the likely impact on his body of the hours he was working. Why do we let…
Jan 03, 2023AnarS rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I truly enjoyed reading this non fiction, which was noteworthy due to my understanding of medical terms. Paul Kalanathi was an exceptional human being as he sought meaning (purpose) in life. And he achieved that honorably. As a …
Dec 04, 2022jasnadzinic rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Heart wrenching and fantastic memoir!
Nov 21, 2022ryka_c rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Even though we know that we will die one day, the concept of death makes the best of us queasy or at the least uncomfortable. What would you do if you are a doctor who is acutely aware of his own death march? Paul Kalanithi, a Stanford…
Aug 29, 2022kathylock rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Nicely written book about doctor/resident dying of cancer and his acceptance.
Jul 27, 2022aurorawww rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A friend of mine recommended this book to me and I absolutely love it. Dr. Kalanithi Is a great writer who is really good at delivering emotions through words. I can tell he is a loving, sophisticated, wise, and fun person. My heart and…
Jul 08, 2022Evelyn_b0Ok_Reviews rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
☁️🌫️🪶When Breath Becomes Air🪶🌫️☁️ A beautiful and poignant memoir about Paul Kalanithi's realization about life, faith, and passion. Written elegantly, Paul recollects about certain moments in his life along with the realizations that…
Jul 06, 2022bookgal74 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Deeply moving.
Jun 26, 2022gabbywong1028 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I read this book because it peaked my interest in medical sciences and biology. As I read this book, it significantly changed the way I viewed life. Paul was such a devoted surgeon, and confronted death so often— only to realize that death…
May 05, 2022canarymom rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book had so much meaning for me as my father was also a neurosurgeon who excelled in his field of surgery, compassionate patient care and teaching younger physicians to excel. Paul's life helps me understand what my dad went through…
Jan 01, 2022mintyworms rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and heart wrenching, this book examines the contradictions surrounding our understanding of and fascination with death. Kalanithi’s strong literature background and passion for literature shines through in his writing. So much of…
Sep 24, 2021
Lizzie mentioned this book.
May 25, 2021redtayres rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
The author is clearly a brilliant man, cut down by cancer right about the time his brilliant career should have soared into overdrive. I liked parts of the book (mostly observations about how doctors themselves act and feel; did you know…
May 11, 2021mikeedm rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Hard to read and not be moved by this book. Thankful that the author took the time and effort to write. The contents of this book will stay with me for a long time, maybe forever.
Apr 13, 2021
I read this book 3 times. I am not a reader of fiction, just cookbooks ! I’m a nurse, mother and wife. Clearly, it moved me to tears. He couldn’t decide between writing and fixing brains, and he nailed both.
Mar 26, 2021julia_sedai rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Interesting, thought-provoking, inspiring read. I was actually most interested in the parts about his being a neurosurgeon - I don't know much about the medical world in general so it was fascinating to read the kinds of things they…