When Breath Becomes Air

"You can't ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward  which you are ceaselessly striving."

Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air

Death is something that is always present, but something that we never want to think about. When it does present itself, it often seems like a slap in the face, especially when it seems sudden, "before ones time." Paul Kalanithi examines our relationship with death, in the medical field and in literature, in his book When Breath Becomes Air.

At the age of 36, Paul was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer months before the completion of his training as a neurosurgeon. This book, published by his wife after his death, chronicles his journey, from his undergrad studies in literature to Stanford medical school to being a patient himself. He discusses the difficult decisions he made throughout his life: his choice to study and be a doctor, to strive to connect with his patients on a deeper level, to have a child with his wife even if there wasn't infinite time. He does this eloquently and thoughtfully, looking deeply into how we handle morality in our lives all the while facing his own.

This book was fantastic and sad. It was fantastically sad, and sadly fantastic. Well written, thoughtful. Kalanithi captured the essence of the human struggle, and he did it with compassion, logic, and love for his friends and family. This book was beautiful.