Being Mortal

ByAtul Gawande

Release Date: 2014-10-07
Genre: Social Science

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 1,829 Ratings

Description

#1 New York Times Bestseller

In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending

Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.

Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.

Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.

Reviews

Awakening
5
By cgowdey
I very much enjoyed this read. Being in my mid 70’s it was enlightening to understand the various ways my body is gradually and in some cases not so gradually bowing to the gravity of time. Multi tasking has become unrealistic for me and now I understand it’s part of the process. Same with physical changes. Driving, which I love to do, requires closer attention these days.

Having lost several close friends in the last few months, the latter part of the book brought home the ending process. Good information as I think about that for myself and my wife. Excellent basis for a conversation with her about her end and mine.
Wow!
5
By TayVaz
Incredible and eye-opening. A must read! As a professional working alongside our aging population, this masterpiece raises new questions to be answered and promotes dignity down to the last day.
Compassionate and challenging
5
By Smart Little Mouse
Dr. Gawande’s words in the epilogue sum up the wisdom of this book. “Medical science has given us remarkable power to push against the limits” set by our bodies, but too often fails to acknowledge that that pier is finite and always will be. This book made me think, reflect and I will continue to do so as my physical limitations increase. I consider this book a gift.
Beautiful Book
5
By EmsPuffin
as a healthcare worker just entering the field, this changed my perspective so much. It prepared me and gave me a new angle to look at. such a beautiful book, I loved the scriptures and mentions of religion.
Insightful
4
By CS Walter
The medical industry is revealed! Your health and wellbeing is paramount. This book is part memoir and part documentary. A read you’ll find changes your life if you’re not in this industry.
a worthwhile read
5
By robotleigh
this book made me cry but it also educated me and made me feel even the tiniest bit more prepared.
Excellent!
5
By Pair8hed
A healthcare professional my entire life; this is a wonderful and powerful book.
I cried and I thought
5
By erik_walter
With a loved one experiencing a terminal illness this book hit me very hard at times, but I’m so thankful for the messages I heard as I read it.
Humbling, sorrowful, and inspiring
5
By BeastMode1128218
This is a book I’ll never forget. It’s made me thinks about life and death in an entirely unexpected way.
Being Mortal is a must read for doctors!
5
By Dr Cleveland
I have had to face so many losses in my personal life already that I resonated with many of the stories. As a physician, I have also made many of the same mistakes in approaching patients with the realities of death and dying. I believe I have gained valuable perspective.