Memoir

When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi

Cover of When Breath Becomes Air
When Breath Becomes Air
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Memoir#meaning#mortality

When Breath Becomes Air

Written byPaul Kalanithi

At 36, on the verge of finishing his training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. His memoir asks what makes a life worth living when time is short. It was published after his death, with an epilogue by his wife, Lucy.

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  • Published2016
  • GenreMemoir
  • Key ideas5
  • Summary1 min read

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  1. 01Meaning is the real question

    Kalanithi went into medicine to understand what makes human life meaningful.

  2. 02Doctor and patient

    Moving from treating illness to living with it changed how he saw care and hope.

  3. 03Live while you're dying

    Not knowing how long he had, he chose to keep working, writing and loving.

  4. 04Family matters

    He and Lucy chose to have a child, a source of deep joy in his final months.

  5. 05Keep moving forward

    He echoes Samuel Beckett: “I can't go on. I'll go on.”

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Meaning is the real question

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