When Breath Becomes Air in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Jul 31, 2017 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, memoir, medicine, library, concierge

Digital audiobook narrated by Sunil Malhotra and Cassandra Campbell

Paul Kalanithi was in his mid-thirties, about to finish his training as a neurosurgeon when he was diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. This is his memoir.

Kalanithi certainly writes eloquently about his experiences, both as a physician, dealing with some heart-breaking cases, and as a patient facing his own devastating diagnosis. The forward by Abraham Verghesse gives some additional insight, and an afterward by Paul’s wife ...more

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Jan 23, 2017 Jody rated it it was ok

Shelves: aty-reject-challenge, aty-2017, nonfiction

As was the case with The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories, I feel like a bit of an arsehole not raving over this book. However, although the writing was at times lovely, I struggled to connect at all with Paul and his story, and after finishing, I'm not entirely sure just what the point of this memoir was. It seemed to be less about his struggle with his diagnosis and impending death and more about his journey to become a surgeon, which I didn't find particularly interesting or compell ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Kathryn rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobooks, under-300-pages, read-in-2017, library, biography-memoir, overdrive-libby, non-fiction

I know this book has been raved about and has been nominated and won many awards, but for me this was only an okay book. It was interesting, but it will not be one that I remember for years to come and if I do it will only most generally. I am glad that I read it, though. The actual writing was not quite to my liking, although I will admit it's a powerful story of a brave man and his equally brave family, who was shot down in his prime or even before he reached his prime. ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 Cecilia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Took my breath away. So well written. His contemplations on life and death in order to find meaning were elegant and fully thought through. His self reflection was honest, acknowledging the unknowing, which I think we all fear at times to admit. Additionally, you can see the thread of contemplation running all the way from birth to death, pondering these same questions, what does it mean to be alive? What am I contributing to this world? And how does our life being finite on this earth change th ...more

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