When Breath Becomes Air

Thanks to When Breath Becomes Air, those of us who never met Paul Kalanithi will both mourn his death and benefit from his life. This one of a handful of books I consider to be a universal donor - I would recommend it to anyone, everyone.

Ann Patchett, author of BEL CANTO

Writing isn't brain surgery, but it's rare when someone adept at the latter is also so accomplished at the former... A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular clarity.

Kirkus Starred Review

Rattling. Heartbreaking. Beautiful.

Atul Gawande, author of BEING MORTAL

Dr Kalanithi describes, clearly and simply, and entirely without self-pity, his journey from innocent medical student to professionally detached and all-powerful neurosurgeon to helpless patient, dying from cancer. He learns lessons about the reality of illness and the doctor-patient relationship that most doctors only learn in old age but Paul Kalanithi died at the tragically early age of 37. Every doctor should read this book - written by a member of our own tribe, it helps us understand and overcome the barriers we all erect between ourselves and our patients as soon as we are out of medical school

Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm

Devastating account of the shift from doctor to patient.

Charlotte Heathcote, Daily Express

An unforgettable reflection on the practice of medicine and the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both.

Miss Dinky

Extraordinary...Remarkable... luminous, revelatory memoir about mortality and what makes being alive meaningful ... Lyrical, intimate, insistent and profound. Kalanithi had the mind of the polymath and the ear of a poet.

Heather Hodson, Daily Telegraph

Exceptional.

Katie Law, Evening Standard

A vital book about dying. Awe-inspiring and exquisite. Obligatory reading for the living.

Nigella Lawson

Powerful and poignant.

The Sunday Times

A stark, fascinating, well-written and heroic memoir.

Stefanie Marsh, The Times

Through reading this book I have looked the bogeyman death in the face. Maybe it was the briefest of glances, and I want to play a little before I look again, but I feel richer for it. It is a sombre richness and there is sadness in it, but I am grateful. Grateful for this book and to its valiant author.

Mary McEvoy, Irish Independent

It would be hard to conceive of a more tragic story... Kalanithi provides a uniquely valuable perspective... [He] writes with eloquence, humour and honesty from both sides of the medical fence. His prose is fluid and precise, enlivened by brisk dialogue and offbeat anecdotes, mixing a surgeon's precision with a human touch... Filled to the brim...with joy, humour and meaning.

Wendy Moore, Literary Review

[Kalanithi] wrote about practising medicine, about mortality, about finite time, with unfathomable tranquility and humour.

Radio Times

In this slim but extraordinarily powerful memoir, Kalanithi grapples with the hardest questions with grace and courage... Lucid, humbling and heartbreaking.

Stephanie Cross, The Lady

A true and heart-breaking tale.

Love it!

A meditation on what makes a life worth living.

Guardian

His exquisitely written, inspiring memoir is inevitably unfinished, but delivers the final word on dying with dignity.

Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

An honest and eye-opening memoir.

Independent on Sunday

A deeply thoughtful and beautifully written book on the question of what makes life worth living.

Macmillan Cancer Support

Heart-wrenching memoir

Eastern Daily Press

When I came to the end of the last flawless paragraph of When Breath Becomes Air, all I could do was turn to the first page and read the whole thing again. Searingly intelligent, beautifully written, and beyond brave, I haven't been so marked by a book in years.

Gabriel Weston, author of DIRECT RED

Immensely powerful and poignant.

Sunday Times

Heart-breaking memoir.

Week

A brilliant memoir.

Daily Telegraph

A powerful and compelling read.

The Economist, Book of the Year

A gripping and emotionally charged account.

Today FM, Book of the Year

[An] inspiring book.

Business Insider, Book of the Year

An emotional ride.

Julie Vuong, Running in Heels, Book of the Year

When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both.

Mojo Mums

Far more than a beautifully written account of a life cut cruelly short: it is a meditation on living well.

Jane Shilling, Mail

[H]e writes with an eloquence that befits his love of the literary.

Brad Davies

He writes movingly about how to make sense of a life so suddenly interrupted and what makes life worth living even as it fades away. A beautiful book about the resilience of the human spirit.

Red

Informative, emotive, honest and a stark look at the path one takes when life pulls the rug out from under you.

Nudge

This book has stayed with me ever since I put it down. Absolutely extraordinary. This book is an example of how fragile and unfair life can be.

Molly Ellis

Poignant and life-affirming, it's a devastating must-read

Woman & Home

Beautifully written... utterly heartbreaking and yet somehow life-affirming

Mike Gayle, author of THE MUSEUM OF ORDINARY PEOPLE, Good Housekeeping

The writing is beautiful and the whole book feels like a wondrous gift

Good Housekeeping

A devastating account of making a meaningful life in the face of death

i, *The most gripping non-fiction of all time*

At a time when the NHS and key workers are doing their utmost to make sure people are safe, this medical memoir is one that will make you realise how courageous and hard-working our medical staff really are... The moving and intimidate book brings readers on a valuable and gut-wrenching journey through the meaning of life, exposes universal truths surrounding terminal illnesses and highlights the fragile relationship between doctor and patient

Country and Townhouse