Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End
Oct 2014 · Profile Books
4.6star
54 reviewsreport
Ebook
333
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About this ebook
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 'A GOOD READ'
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
'GAWANDE'S MOST POWERFUL, AND MOVING, BOOK' MALCOLM GLADWELL
'BEING MORTAL IS NOT ONLY WISE AND DEEPLY MOVING; IT IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INSIGHTFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES' OLIVER SACKS
For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's like to get old and die, how medicine has changed this and how it hasn't, where our ideas about death have gone wrong. With his trademark mix of perceptiveness and sensitivity, Atul Gawande outlines a story that crosses the globe, as he examines his experiences as a surgeon and those of his patients and family, and learns to accept the limits of what he can do.
Never before has aging been such an important topic. The systems that we have put in place to manage our mortality are manifestly failing; but, as Gawande reveals, it doesn't have to be this way. The ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life - all the way to the very end.
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
'GAWANDE'S MOST POWERFUL, AND MOVING, BOOK' MALCOLM GLADWELL
'BEING MORTAL IS NOT ONLY WISE AND DEEPLY MOVING; IT IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INSIGHTFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES' OLIVER SACKS
For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's like to get old and die, how medicine has changed this and how it hasn't, where our ideas about death have gone wrong. With his trademark mix of perceptiveness and sensitivity, Atul Gawande outlines a story that crosses the globe, as he examines his experiences as a surgeon and those of his patients and family, and learns to accept the limits of what he can do.
Never before has aging been such an important topic. The systems that we have put in place to manage our mortality are manifestly failing; but, as Gawande reveals, it doesn't have to be this way. The ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life - all the way to the very end.
Ratings and reviews
4.6
54 reviews
abdullah alhaidari
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June 23, 2017
I recommend this book to all mortals… and to every health professional looking after geriatric, oncology and palliative care patients. The journey begins by learning how humans came to live longer and healthier in the last few decades and the consequences of such. You are then subjected to experience the effects of age on you body and mind, try not to freak as you become weak and frail and start to loose your independence while wondering about the commonly perceived pictures of healthy and handsome 90 years old marathons runners seen in the magazines and movies. You will also live the lives of those diagnosed with terminal illness and how they battled both physically and emotionally to persevere. Q. What matters to us most when we approach our end and why? is the need for a purpose to live, loyalty, leaving a legacy, solitude or company? Q. When we require help, do we have to choose between neglect and institutionalisation? Q. What terrifies us about death, is it the sickness, losses or the isolation? Q. How can we die at peace? Q. Are nursing homes 'safety cages' keeping older adults from practicing their autonomy and performing the things they enjoy most when time is running out? Q. Is moving to a nursing home similar to being in a cage where we are meant to be kept safe by preventing us from doing the things we enjoy most? Q. Do we have better alternatives to nursing homes ? Q. Will medicine be there for you towards the end of life or will it make things worse; unrealistic expectations, false promises, iatrogenic complications, prolonging suffering? Q. How can health professionals doctors help? Is it through family meetings, end of life discussions and hospice involvement?
2 people found this review helpful
A Google user
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February 7, 2019
I haven't had a good book to read in a long time, and I must admit this book really helped me rekindle that love for reading. It is written in a way, that all readers are able to relate and gain in someway with the anecdotes shared in the book. It was short enough so that the points were conveyed clearly, long enough so that no detail felt rushed and every person who shared their experience was valued.
JJ L
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December 1, 2019
A very necessary read, not only for potential health practitioners, but for people in general. It is important to have these sorts of discussions in our lives and this is one of the novels that at least gives some insight into what the unfortunate experiences will be like, and how to potentially manage them.
About the author
Atul Gawande is a surgeon, writer and public health researcher. He practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He is also Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. He writes regularly for the New Yorker, and is the author of Better (9781861976574), Complications (9781846681325) and The Checklist Manifesto (9781846683145). In 2021, Atul Gawande was selected as a member of Joe Biden's twelve-person Covid-19 task force.
Published in partnership with Wellcome Collection.
wellcomecollection.org
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