In "Being Mortal," Dr. Atul Gawande confronts the realities of aging and mortality, offering a poignant exploration of how modern medicine often fails to address the most profound aspects of life. Through compelling stories and insightful research, he reveals the struggle to balance the fight for life with the desire for a meaningful end. Gawande challenges readers to reconsider their perceptions of aging, illness, and death, advocating for a more compassionate approach to care. With a blend of personal narrative and expert analysis, he empowers us to navigate these inevitable transitions with grace and dignity. This thought-provoking work invites you to ponder your own mortality and the legacy of love and agency we can forge in its wake.
By Atul Gawande
Published: 2014
"Modern medicine has turned the process of dying into a medical event."
#1 New York Times Bestseller In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified. Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
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“Modern medicine has turned the process of dying into a medical event.”
Being Mortal
By Atul Gawande
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Atul Gawande is a renowned American surgeon, writer, and public health researcher, recognized for his contributions to medicine and healthcare reform. He is the author of several influential books, including "Being Mortal," which explores the challenges of end-of-life care, and "The Checklist Manifesto," highlighting the importance of checklists in complex tasks. Gawande is a staff writer for The New Yorker, where he shares insights on medical ethics, health policy, and the human experience in medicine. He is a co-founder of the non-profit organization Ariadne Labs, dedicated to improving health care delivery around the world. With his blend of clinical expertise and compelling storytelling, Gawande has become a prominent voice in conversations about health and society.
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