Reviews with content warning for Vomit - When Breath Becomes Air

Beautifully written. I wish their could have been more but I guess that somewhat reflects life and one of the many messages of this book. Overall, incredible. I think it’s important for all health care providers to read.

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readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

On first read in 2017: This has to be one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time now. I often find that, though I will enjoy a memoir, it doesn't really resonate with me. But this certainly did.

The entire time that I was reading this book, I was noting the similarities between my thinking and Paul's. I wish that we had been able to meet, because I think we could have had some very interesting discussions about mortality and meaning. I also found myself awed by his integrity, throughout his life as well as when he was facing death.

On 2023 reread

Overall rating: 4.75 stars

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Perspective: 5 stars

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wordsaremybigobsession's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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mi7sma's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

This autobiography entails the strife of an Indian-American Neurosurgeon 'Paul Kalanthini ' who suffered from lung cancer in his late 30s while juggling the aspects of existentialism and facing death. He held a book closeby authored by Sir Thomas Browne called 'Religio Medici' which recapitulates on Paul's story since it was a spiritual account of a physician learning about humanity and humility while keeping his hubris aside for the good of his patients. Spiritualism played a great deal in this account along with an organic perspective on living life. In the end, Dr. Kalanthini faced great adversity health-wise but never backed down since he knew that it would do no good. However he accepted his fate and tried earnestly to support his wife and child to secure their futures. He cried at his prognosis,he cried at the hospital, he cried with his spouse Lucy but never gave up. In the end, the message of this book Is to live life to the fullest regardless of dire circumstances. Modern science can only do so much, but it can never replicate or measure humanity at it's core. Apart from some rlly fun medicos lingo, the book was really philosophical to say the least. Also I keep forgetting the info when I read books so imma just state My favourite term and quote. 1) psychogenic trauma
When a patient and their family is dazed by the prognosis.
2) You can't ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving. Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.

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chireadsandchill's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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beetandbaguette's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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