Reviews with content warning for Suicide - When Breath Becomes Air

Memoir of a smart and empathetic neurosurgeon diagnosed with cancer. Epilogue written by his widowed wife. I found his portion interesting but surprisingly not sad, his wife’s portion was sad to me though. His perspective of the medical field informed much of his decision-making process when diagnosed; he had difficulty letting himself simply be a patient. He also understood the importance of not simply extending life - but of meaningful time being more important than the quantity.

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dazzling_cabbage's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

There was so much to absorb and take away from this book. I read it at a break neck speed as it was absolutely unputdownable, compared to other memoirs I’ve read.
The questions of life, death and meaning of life are at first cognitively explored and then emotionally experienced. A truly human delivery of human circumstances. A story of suffering, loss and enduring love and care.

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millie_eevee's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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eclloyd's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced

5.0

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

meditative and powerful, when breath becomes air journeys kalanithi's confrontation with his own close mortality, bringing to ironic physical fruition his lifelong reflection on life and death.

detailing his time in med school, the subsequent residency, and his diagnosis and treatment, kalanithi weaves the tale of a man in the unwanted yet unique position of being both a doctor and a patient, providing a rare POV of being on both sides of medical care. the memoir is seeped w/ an undercurrent of calm and mulling, all held tgt by kalanithi's poignant writing. im v glad that he's written and left this book as part of his legacy.

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caitlincurran's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced

5.0

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readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

On first read in 2017: This has to be one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time now. I often find that, though I will enjoy a memoir, it doesn't really resonate with me. But this certainly did.

The entire time that I was reading this book, I was noting the similarities between my thinking and Paul's. I wish that we had been able to meet, because I think we could have had some very interesting discussions about mortality and meaning. I also found myself awed by his integrity, throughout his life as well as when he was facing death.

On 2023 reread

Overall rating: 4.75 stars

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Perspective: 5 stars

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