When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Genre: Non-fiction
Source: ebook
Awards: Pulitzer Prize Nominee for Biography or Autobiography (2017), Wellcome Book Prize Nominee (2017), Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography (2016), Waterstones Book of the Year Nominee (2016), Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2016)
Jan Michalski Prize Nominee for Longlist (2017)
Rating: 5 out of 5

Thoughts:

“even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”

I avoided reading this book for a long time. Reading about a man who has an incurable cancer meant nothing but heartbreak. But i was wrong, Yes, there is sadness but I wasn’t prepared for how beautiful this would be. Paul is not just someone who had cancer and died. His entire life, however short it might be, was a perfect example of how it should be lead, at least professionally. In Breath Becomes Air he bared all, his successes and his failures.

His discussion on philosophy and neurology, reflections on life and death, and what makes life worth living was very profound. He discusses morality in a profession where being brisk and efficient is considered more important.

I wish he were here to see how successful his book is. The world has not only lost a talented neurosurgeon but also a great writer. I have never been inspired by a book so much.

As I turn the last page with tears running down my face, I decide I’m going to do this to myself and read this book again.

“even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”

Note: This is one of my favourite books from last year.