The review of when breathe become air

by John Smith

Please note this is not original book

Just in case you are wondering, this is not a book about a man wallowing in self-pity and is not Machiavellian in any form. It’s a work of art that is insightful and succeeded in enlightening me on how to connect with other humans and why life is worth living. I will definitely be referencing this book for the rest of my life- I do not say this lightly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Smith (AKA Walter N. Gardner) is Australian author and publisher.


He is nutritionist focus on macrobiotic, diet and weight loss related.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why the actual book doesn't appear in Goodreads but that is what I read. If half stars were possible I would give this a 2.5 and then have a guilt trip over not giving a higher rating to a book written about dying by a young doctor as he was dying.

[Sawyer Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Kalanithi was a neurosurgeon that was diagnosed with cancer in his thirties and his only desire was to complete this novel and to spend the time he had left with his family and newborn daughter, Caddy. The novel “When Breath Becomes Air” provides a clearer insight to life and death and the value of existence. Some people think of their life as just a day by day repeat of all the same things. But as displayed in this novel, when the idea that death could be nearing, you realize the value of life and take everyday a little bit slower. It shows the perspective from both a patient and doctor, and the reality of human experiences. As a doctor, you don’t expect a day will come when you are the one needing a doctor. It was apparent that having a doctor-patient relationship like Paul and Emma made the darkness of having a terminal illness much more digestible.This novel reminds people to be mindful of what they have and to be aware of your purpose and appreciate the ability of life.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a very raw, very real account of this good man's life...difficult in parts; quite graphic descriptions of anatomy labs and cadavers and occasional use of the F*** word which I despise, but overall a fascinating look at life and death and what becoming meaningful in between.

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very emotional. Made me reflect and feel grateful for my life and health. Following your curiosity and excitement is a worthy pursuit no matter how long or short your life turns out to be.

[Unknown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very confusing language and perspective (for a young reader like me) but it was nice and touching, especially when you know it's a true story.

[Ruth Rappaport-Kristal (formerly Kramer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, honest account of a neuro-surgeon's life cut short.

[Shekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an outstanding account of a Doctor, who until diagnosed himself of terminal cancer, used to deal with such situations with patients. It raises several important questions on contemporary medical practices, the roles of Doctors and Doctor-patient relationships, the disease itself and is an intimate account of Paul Kalanithi's imminent encounter with death. The fact that the author considered English Literature as a possible career, shows in the outstanding presentation of his experiences in life. The book is so engaging that leaving it half-read in the dead of the night after a long tiring day was a reluctant choice for me personally. A must read for everyone.

[Will New · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual book isn't on Goodreads for some reason, but the it is brilliantly tragic and such an insight into the work of neurosurgeons and grief side-by-side.

[Huzaifa Irfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the original book as it is not available in Goodreads!


When we write about our life, as much as we reflect on the past, we look into the future, and when a person is certain of his immediate death, he talks only of the life he has lived and the wisdom he has gained.

The book holds such wisdom for me, I saw it as the contemplation of a person who has seen many deaths in life, and finally of himself. I saw the writing as a self-note to his own heart, as a way to soothe his heart to the possible danger of death.

In the book, he started writing down the details of his life when he was held by cancer, starting from his journey as a student, then in residency, and then becoming a patient himself depending on others for help.

The book is laden with many medical terminologies, which might be hard for general people to understand, however, given the author's love for literature, he has written it well to keep the flow of words. It was a dolorous account to read as it felt like a farewell letter.

Unfortunately, he didn't complete this work as cancer left him unconscious, but the account of his last days was given that may release us out of curiosity of his last days.

Reading the book reminded me of the fragility of human life; everything can change within moments when you realize some reality. When we are in a position of power, and authority we only think about ourselves, but when we lose that we may not have the support of others as we would need.

When life has to end one day, we realize that something is worth cherishing, it is the happy moments with our family and friends. Living our lives to goodness requires us to appreciate and prioritize ourselves and our mental health. Creating a balance in all things we do can make these fleeting moments a bit easier to live and more fulfilling to undergo.

One of the powerful realizations I had while reading the book is this: life will become mundane, robotic, and meaningless if we become static and have nothing to serve ourselves and others. It made me reflect that no matter what happens to us if we don't save ourselves, our thoughts can eat us from inside out.

The book will make you think, and cry and give you a lot of reasons to appreciate your life.

[Kallie Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I am not normally a fan of memoirs based on their pace and feel that they drag on at times (so sorry if that’s offensive) but this book was perfect. The length, the story, the takeaways.

My heart aches at the end but this is the kind of book that you close and will sit with you as you look at life with a new perspective. I’m genuinely blown away by how much I love loved this book and think genuinely everyone will enjoy it.

Some of my favorite takeaways/quotes:

- find meaning in the striving. Hard things come up but how we handle them is everything. What matters to us, how do we treat others, where do we spend our time?
- “Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproducible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most central aspects of human life: hope, fear, love, hate, beauty, envy, honor, weakness, striving, suffering, virtue.”
- “maybe the basic message of original sin isn't "Feel guilty all the time." Maybe it is more along these lines:
"We all have a notion of what it means to be good, and we can't live up to it all the time."”
- “Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.
And Truth comes somewhere above all of them…”
- “"You can't ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving." It was arduous, bruising work, and he never faltered. This was the life he was given, and this is what he made of it.”

[Sydney George · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY SO, this is not the actual book but the real one won’t show up. So… let’s pretend it’s the real one! The book “When Breathe Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi was a masterpiece that had me silently sobbing at the end. He details his life in ways I only wish I could, and was such an incredible mind, heart, soul, father, son, doctor, husband, friend, and just overall human being. I felt as though I knew him by the end of the book, and that comes with him spilling the most vulnerable parts of life as a husband, doctor, cancer patient, and so forth. Dealing with death is no small feat, and yet I’ve never “met” someone who did it so well (if that can even be a thing). I recommend to anyone who is ready to contemplate meaning, life, and purpose. Never take anything for granted!

[Mariah Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was unsure I would be able to rate this fairly with the difference in interests from him & the knowledge I lack of the subject. I am so glad I finished this one though because it was so touching. The fact that he spent the last moments of his life to try to help others come to terms with death was so noble. I am one of those people who is scared to death of death. The message from His wife at the end destroyed me but also really showed who he was as a person not just a neurosurgeon & patient which was amazing. I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to read this ♥️

[Kiana Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book When Breathe Becomes Air is so fantastic. I am so invested in medical topics and the gory truth of the medical field. This book was a little harder to read because of all the medical terms and Paul was a very smart man making things harder to understand but I loved the challenge. The middle of the book was slow and I was losing some interest but when the ending began I was fully invested and so happy I finished it. This book was so eye opening and in a way humbling I loved this book.

[Charles Reimler · Rating 5 out of 5]

+Talk To Grandma : My Lifestyle + Grandma Died 1994 28-Years Ago!
*Brought A*🐥Lawn💨Chair 🪑Plus Umbrella ☔️ *Sit *☀️On*Top*☀️👵 Grandma Grave☀️💀**At Cemetery*⚰️🐶Bring Dog 🐶Along & Pack A Lunchbox!😎Wonderful 
🕊Hours 🤓Of Conversation🗣& Long ☀️Visit💥With Grandma 👵 At Cemetery
♦️Grandma Talks To Me In My ♦️DREAMS Only♦️

[Lawson Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is “When Breathe Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi:

I couldn’t finish the epilogue because my eyes were filled with tears. Death is life, but that’s cliche I think. I appreciate the account of seeing the fairytale, even if it was too late. Pains me. Incredible book, and I will look forward with a lot more joy and grace.

[Najwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book and not this summary. I enjoyed the author's honesty. It is a book about him, his thoughts and opinions. I enjoyed that aspect but also felt like I had to remind myself he was a dying man and that this was his book and perhaps a form of legacy.

[Jenthea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. Quiet short detailed description of life and death occurrence. This book made me realise neurosurgeons are one the best heroes of all. This book somehow made me see the way my beloved someone gone through their last moment on their own. This will stay in my heart for sure!

[Thomas Nemcek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really inspiring, quite sad. It was very interesting to hear what a doctors life was like, I never had a first hand account. I’d heard of doctors burnout, but this gave it texture. Makes me want to be a doctor.

[Justine Ubaldini · Rating 5 out of 5]

True story about a brain surgeon who gets cancer. Quick Read!

[Vimal Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a page turner ... Must read it

[Marnie Bebej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook -A book of life, death and learning. I don't know how to describe this book but it was good and the tears flowed. Think ER Dr. Mark Greene

when breath becomes air- Paul Kalanithi

[Jonny Eyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saddest book I’ve ever read

[Amber McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised this isn’t on Goodreads. I loved this book, so raw and well written.

[Hannah Recio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never cried so much reading a book. You know how the book will end in the first chapter but that didn’t keep the tears from coming. Everyone needs to read this book.

[Emily Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to the entire audio book versus a summary. My second listen over the years…

[Claire Tomlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in Nursing school. Very impactful.

[Queen I of Book Whore. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The actual book is more tragic.

[Oathen Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the life of a neurosurgeon that is diagnosed with cancer. He has a mission to finish publishing a book and tells us to not take our time here for granted. He approached death peacefully, knowing that his control of the situation was out of his hands. He spent the time he had left with his newborn daughter and doing the things he enjoyed.

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t even finish the book….. I mean it gave me a different perspective of a doctor, life and death and just purely the medical field specifically a nuero surgeons mind…. But it wasn’t fulfilling enough for the type of books I like to read. First book I ever stopped reading in the middle of reading because it was not enough and slightly boring. I’m in nursing school and some of it made me feel like I was reading my textbooks.

[Joce Mcdowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sad and heartfelt account of dying from Cancer.