Mar 25, 2021niewegec rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Paul Kalanithi was an extraordinary neurosurgeon who had his career cut short after finding out he had stage 4 lung cancer. I thought this memoir was beautifully well written, and does a great job of demonstrating that even if one who…
Mar 24, 2021DanglingConversations rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
While this is a touching and tragic story of a young man cut down by cancer at the beginning of a difficult career, the story is not outstanding as literature.
Mar 10, 2020carolwu96 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Paul Kalanithi was successful by every societal standard. He had graduated from Stanford with double majors in English and Biology and earned advanced degrees in both fields before becoming a Chief Resident at the Stanford Hospital. He was…
LoganLib_Kirra
Jan 30, 2020LoganLib_Kirra rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
When Breath Becomes Air is a moving memoir from a young neurosurgeon diagnosed with a terminal cancer. After working tirelessly for a decade training, learning and performing surgeries Paul is almost at the end of his residency when he…
Jan 24, 2020SusyHendrix rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Kalanithi's prose is a bit leaden and the flow isn't always smooth, but he showed promise as a writer. It is sad he had to die so young. This short memoir is a touching testament to a man who came to grips with his own mortality and made…
Dec 29, 2019FPL_Sunita rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir by Paul Kalanithi, who was a neurosurgeon, husband and father. A must read powerful small book is all about a subtle yet profound reality check and truly proves its purpose, to give you a clarity about…
Jul 06, 2019EljayJohnson rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A memoir/essay/treatise by a brilliant neurosurgeon who died before the age of 40 from cancer. Part One - his story of his search for meaning as a doctor dealing with untold death amid fervent striving for a fulfilling life - was profound…
Mar 16, 2019lorraineacasas rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for this type of book.. it was a book I kept putting down until I forced myself to finish it. It was gripping in some parts, but seemed rushed (rightfully so). I did start liking it by the middle and end. The…
r
rocaadri
Dec 17, 2018rocaadri rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Best part about book was psychologist advice while he had cancer.
Nov 27, 2018ayles rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Nov 27/18
What a lovely book. When "breath becomes air" words and phrase are so well written. I often find myself reflecting back to this book which I read in the spring of 2018. Enjoy. DAP
Nov 16, 2018aerinmelkor rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a book that I read repeatedly, and every time, I come away with new things I love from the book. From the word choice to new quotes that I cannot help but write down somewhere, it brings a plethora of inspiration with each…
Aug 26, 2018NaMe24 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Closest I've come to crying at the end of a the book. But I'm not a child, SO I DIDN'T CRY OKAY???
A great essay on death from a professional, philosophical, and ultimately human perspective. Written as a memoir on his life, an analysis…
Aug 23, 2018vitareader rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Paul is a neurosurgeon that is just months away from his life time goal of graduating from residency and getting the big job offers when they discover he has cancer. The end was near but not the end that Paul and his wife had envisioned.…
Aug 01, 2018jandt_mcmurray rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I wasn't sure of it at first, but I ended up really liking it. Very sad to listen to the author's story of his life before death, but he had a great story to tell. I especially loved his wife's epilogue.
Age recommendation: 16 &…
Jul 25, 2018TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Paul writes in a way that takes us into his life and into the lives of those around him. He gives us a glimpse of what it's like to face death and at the same time find his passion and live his life with his wife and family. He never…
This autobiography goes beyond the usual chronological sequences in the life of a medical student/resident. Despite the moral pressures that the author faces while undergoing various treatments and the dilemmas that he faces, Kalanithi…
Jun 15, 2018jnewday rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary, insightful, poignant. A personal journey taken with deeply felt observations seen through a glittering glowing awareness of each moment.
Mar 30, 2018knitter2248 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Paul Kalanithi aspired to be a writer before he became a surgeon and the words just flow. Yes, it's a sad story, sad that we lost someone this gifted at any early age, but he gives us the…
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When Breath Becomes Air