Of course you begin knowing the end. Dr Paul Kalanithi dies. This account, both unfinished and finished (depending on the sense you mean) is a deeply introspective reflection on life, meaning and death from someone who has been acutely attuned. The brief memoir focuses on Kalanithi's dual relationship with life and death as a doctor and as a patient, and underlying that, we see our own deepest existential fears reflected back in his humanity. Freshly diagnosed, it is Kalanithi's instinct to ensure the futures of those around him, though he himself is unsure of his present. Most of us are not dying of severe illness, but all of us will wonder what our lives can mean, what it should mean. Kalanithi grapples with increasing urgency, his own truth about what makes life meaningful, and it is this frenetic energy that is so calmly tempered by clarity and authority that is striking. No doubt the dying are suffering, but Kalanithi doesn't dwell so long. In a way, the brevity of the book brings to the fore what Kalanithi most wanted to say, and largely these were philosophical things. I think the foreword by Dr Abraham Verghese should be skipped and unread entirely, and I think the epilogue written by his wife, Dr Lucy Kalanithi was illuminating. After finishing Paul Kalanithi's meditative words, his clarity is softened by the bookend that is his wife's epilogue. We can only guess of Paul Kalanithi's contributions to neuroscience had he lived, but we already know of the contributions he has made. It is possible to live while dying.

Beautiful, painful but interesting. This memoir taught me other ways to review life. It somewhat made me think of it in a calmer perspective. Contains a lot of medical words which sometimes made it hard to read. But I still recommend it.

This book was a marvel. I don't typically read non-fiction that is about someone's life, but after hearing so many great things about When Breath Becomes Air I decided to try it out as an audiobook from my local library. This book had me thinking about questions bigger than myself, considering the intersections between life and death, and really taking into consideration what makes us whole as people and what my own important works are. It also sparked some really great conversation with my parents about what their lives have been and what they think of our human experience (they are both in their later 50s). 

I don't usually read books that I know will make me upset or emotionally drained, but this book was worth the tears. I nearly had to pull over on my drives at certain points because I was weeping after thinking about the questions that Paul was raising in this book. And the epilogue!? By far one of my favorite parts of the entire memoir. I even bought this book for a friend when I was only 40% of the way in to it because I needed to share it with someone. This book will keep me thinking for a long time. 

Kalanithi’s writing is poetic, insightful, and beautifully constructed. The events of Kalanithi’s life and the messages he has for the readers make for an eye-opening, inspiring, and a very emotional read. It is truly breathtaking and a new favourite of mine. While the book doesn’t have ‘characters’ per se as they’re real people, the depictions of all of the people were portrayed eloquently throughout. If I had to critique it I would say that I wouldn’t recommend it for readers who dislike a more poetic writing style or have little interest in medicine. It also changes pace in a way that's a little jarring in some places.

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