How can a memoir by a surgeon who discovers he has a fatal form of lung cancer be so compelling? The book cover tells us that the author died shortly after completing ten years of training to become a neurosurgeon. And yet, like so many other readers, I could not put this book down. Kalanithi does three things marvelously: he knows how to write scenes, he reflects on an important question (“Where did biology, morality, literature, and philosophy intersect?”) and he knows when to widen his focus and when to sharpen it. So much can be learned from this book!
Work Cited:
Kalanithi, Paul. When Breath Becomes Air. Random House, 2016, p. 44.
