A Memoir that Looks at Death and Lives It
Looking at life with 'When Breath Becomes Air' and having it change mine
“I began to realize that coming in close contact with my own mortality had changed both nothing and everything.” — When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
When a book is recommended to me countless times, I become wary.
The book takes its place, front and center, in display cases in bookstores, it's mentioned in literary podcasts, it's included in people's "books-to-read" lists and "top ten books", and even when I hear — or I think I hear — the title or author in passing, I do a double-take because it's eerie.
It's as if the universe is grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me to read this book. So I think, "Okay, great! I guess it's time to read this book!" which is fine, but then, another thought follows closely behind. What if it's not actually good?
The media's hype, anticipation, and excitement create inevitable, overwhelming, and mountainous expectations. And for me, the memoir, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi became just that. It became a book I saw everywhere but became apprehensive about because of the expectations subconsciously forming within.
Book Summary
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir about a neurosurgeon, who is diagnosed with cancer. From choosing to pursue medical school to being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, he's constantly contemplating the purpose of life and the meaning of death.
His search for these answers shape his life and determine how he chooses to live the rest of his days.
Review
Overall, The memoir is a very moving, thought-provoking, and philosophical book. I understand why so many people recommend it, and in my opinion, it deserves every bit of attention it has earned.
On his search for answers about life and death, he eloquently articulates how, no matter who you are or how you look at it, these more profound questions can never be fully answered — or at least, never confirmed. He shares his journey with cancer, which is the most personal, raw, and tender part of his life. He simultaneously presents his experiences objectively for readers to understand his situation and thought processes about existential questions.
At the end of his life, he fulfils his goal of giving to the world what he could: his knowledge about death and life's meaning as a doctor, patient, and human. His passion and will to dive into these questions are apparent in his life's decisions. Throughout his education, he studies death, and when studying isn't enough, he becomes a doctor to face death head-on. As a top surgeon in his field, he becomes his patients' best defence. But when he becomes a patient himself, he now becomes a player in death's game.
Through all these perspectives — researcher, doctor, patient, human — he gains invaluable insight about death from different fronts. Through this book, he shared his findings, emotional toils, and journey in which not very many can.
This memoir is a story of someone's life and something much more. It takes a deep dive into life's deepest questions and explains them in clear, streamlined, philosophical prose.
Why are we living? What does it mean to live? What would you do if you found out you were going to die? It's not a book that imposes its thoughts but presents itself to readers to make up their own minds about how they might view and live life.
Personal Reflection
On a personal note, I greatly resonated with the memoir due to our uncanny number of similarities. I wasn't diagnosed with a chronic disease, but like him, I'm always trying to decipher how my decisions align with what I believe life is and how I want to live it.
I had read this book during a period where I was contemplating a career in literature or the neuroscience field. Ironically, by seeing so many similarities between us, the differences became more evident, and my doubts about my decisions dissipated into clarity. I owe a lot to this book because it pushed me to go on the pathway I'm currently on, which is to pursue a career in publishing.
So for me, I hold this book in high regard because not only was it a great book in itself, but it spoke to me on a personal level. So if you want a book that will look into questions about what it means to live and how to face death, I would recommend this memoir. It's incredibly personal and humane and tells the life of a person who accepts his situation with grace.
