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When Breath Becomes Air
A review of

When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi • Random House • 2016

Grace in the Face of Death

by David Meyer

Brilliant surgeon and philosopher Dr. Paul Kalanithi details the story of his life, his marriage, his fatal cancer diagnosis and his struggle to stay alive.

Dr. Paul Kalanithi, an intelligent, philosophical man, loved literature, medicine and science. He earned a BA and MA in English Literature from Stanford and a master’s in the history and philosophy of science and medicine from the University of Cambridge before studying medicine at Yale.

Near the end of his neurosurgical residency, at age 36, Kalanithi received a fatal diagnosis of stage IV lung cancer. His moving, beautifully written memoir documents his journey from doctor to patient, from saving lives and making life-or-death decisions to grappling with his own mortality. As his eloquent writing shows, Kalanithi faced death with fortitude and courage.

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    L. H. 3 years ago
    Amazing story! Dr. Kalanithi's story shook me to my core and had me hooked from page 1.
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    J. E. 4 years ago
    Very inspirational and thought-provoking piece of legitimate art. Kalanithi’s writing style, scribed at a time when he was undoubtedly in a tremendous amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain, draws the reader in and doesn’t release its grasp until the final page when I was overtaken with emotion.
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    O. K. 6 years ago
    No comment