a book
When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi · 2016 · 256 pages
'Rattling. Heartbreaking. Beautiful.' Atul Gawande, bestselling author of Being Mortal
At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.
When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity - the brain - and finally into a patient and a new father.
What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when when life is catastrophically interrupted? What does it mean to have a child as your own life fades away?
Paul Kalanithi died while working on this profoundly moving book, yet his words live on as a guide to us all. When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both.
'A vital book about dying. Awe-inspiring and exquisite. Obligatory reading for the living' Nigella Lawson
recommended by 26 people
sourced from public statements
Alice Walker
“When Breath Becomes Air made me so glad Paul existed I could hardly sit still. It’s a wonderful book about a wonderful human being. Living and dying with so much grace and dignity I’m still weeping as I write this, and it’s been months!”↗
Shauna Niequist
“Another day, another booklist. Today: memoir—I loooooooove memoirs. As ever, please reply with your favorites so we can all add them to our reading lists. :) Also: Happy Friday. Phew.”↗
Bob Wachter
“Extraordinary @nytimes revu of Paul Kalinithi's book, "When Breath Becomes Air" "Intimate, illuminating, unmissable"”↗
January Makamba
“This one, the writings of a young and brilliant medical doctor, who was practicing medicine while battling terminal illness (cancer), may make you cry. He writes about his final days. Then died at 37-years old before finishing the book. His wife wrote an epilogue.”↗
Arianna Simpson
“@satishd @dksf @patrick_oshag God yes this book was amazing and also broke my heart. All the best ones do. Thanks @zsims, the gifter”↗
Bethany S. Mandel
“More Shabbat reading recommendations: This book was breathtaking and such a powerful advertisement for the joy of parenthood.”↗
Siddhartha Mukherjee
“@rocketgirlmd When Breath Meets Air is an intellectual companion to Emperor of All Maladies and Ken Burns film. A "must read" book”↗
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
“@shilpasunil_rao Yes. Great book”↗
books like When Breath Becomes Air
other books recommended by the same people who recommend this one
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
6 shared recommenders
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Phil Knight
5 shared recommenders
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
Morgan Housel
5 shared recommenders
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
James Clear
4 shared recommenders
Principles: Life and Work
Ray Dalio
4 shared recommenders
The Richest Man in Babylon: Deluxe Hardbound Edition
George S. Clason
3 shared recommenders
Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Ed.)
Ayn Rand
3 shared recommenders
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Matthew Desmond
3 shared recommenders
Educated: A Memoir
Tara Westover
3 shared recommenders
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
John M. Barry
3 shared recommenders
The Inner Game Of Tennis: The Classic Guide To The Mental Side Of Peak Performance
W. Timothy Gallwey
3 shared recommenders
The Power
Naomi Alderman
3 shared recommenders