Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

127 reviews

electrifyingpenguin's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

A beautifully written memoir exploring the meaning of life. As a neurosurgeon, Paul had great respect for the integrity and autonomy of his patients, and as a patient himself, he reflects on what makes life meaningful enough to go on living, which dreams to continue striving for and which to let go of in the face of his diagnosis. Although this book is an unfinished project, Paul imparted the integrity he had as a physician through his words. When the odds are stacked against you and you know you'll lose, "you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving." 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

eeeeeli_is_probably_lonely's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kristy_102's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I cried a LOT. This should be compulsory reading for anyone who has or may have contact with the medical profession- so, everyone. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

puifaii's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

notbeforebreakfast's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Painful and poignant, I’m not sure if I’ve ever cried this much while reading before. It pushes one to reflect on who we are, how that evolves, and what we can do to make the most of the time we have.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sydapel's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective
An odd choice of listen while I was hiking in the Glaciers to be sure, but this has been on my TBR for years and I wanted to check it off. Obviously, this writing and story comes from a deeply tragic place, but I think the way the author chooses to tell it is heartening and hopeful, if a little simplistic. I liked his thoughts about the best and most human ways of patient care the most, and of course the afterward broke my heart in two. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

_lees's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thesapphire's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging inspiring sad fast-paced

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ella_elizabeth66's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

deestreet's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings