Moments in life often juxtapose each other, and suddenly everything begins to fall into the categories of "before" and "after." This novel focuses on the juxtaposition of life and death. I didn't connect it until near the end of the story, but this is a true parallel to the book that I begin each year with, "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Album. Both Paul Kalanithi and Morrie Schwartz share a deep desire to understand death and enjoy and appreciate the life that we are given. Through their experiences with terminal illnesses and their understanding of philosophy, psychology, and sociology, they are able to share with their readers a truly unique and carefully optimistic perspective on life and death.
The author begins this book with his diagnosis of lung cancer. His experiences are different than most because he has spent many years training to be a neurosurgeon, so he understands the diagnosis from the vantage point of the doctor and now the patient. After the diagnosis, he takes the reader back to his early life, his life when he was healthy. He chose two very different areas of study, and strove to intertwine them. Most people, I think, would struggle to see the overlap between literature, philosophy, and neuroscience. However, to Kalanithi, they all connected in that they shed light on creating meaning in both life and death. I would think that a majority of the population focuses on just one of these areas. We are all either preparing for our own demise or running from it.
This book is beautifully written, and it includes excerpts from some of the author's favorite literary works. I enjoyed searching for the connections between the quotations and the events the author was describing.
The second half of this book is about his life after his diagnosis. He and his family were forced to come face-to-face with the question of "what do you truly value?" Would he return to his residency in neurosurgery and attempt to graduate? The feat he had been tirelessly working on for years? Or would he and his wife focus on starting a family? Like Morrie Schwartz, he grappled with the "big questions" and sought to be fully present in the moments that he had left.
The end of the book, as you probably suspect, is sad. But I think the ideas and approach to life illustrated in this book, as well as "Tuesdays with Morrie," give the readers a sense of comfort and a road map to help those struggling with understanding death. Rather than focusing on the limited time you may have left, whether it be days, weeks, months, years, or decades, instead focus on making the most of each moment.
The author begins this book with his diagnosis of lung cancer. His experiences are different than most because he has spent many years training to be a neurosurgeon, so he understands the diagnosis from the vantage point of the doctor and now the patient. After the diagnosis, he takes the reader back to his early life, his life when he was healthy. He chose two very different areas of study, and strove to intertwine them. Most people, I think, would struggle to see the overlap between literature, philosophy, and neuroscience. However, to Kalanithi, they all connected in that they shed light on creating meaning in both life and death. I would think that a majority of the population focuses on just one of these areas. We are all either preparing for our own demise or running from it.
This book is beautifully written, and it includes excerpts from some of the author's favorite literary works. I enjoyed searching for the connections between the quotations and the events the author was describing.
The second half of this book is about his life after his diagnosis. He and his family were forced to come face-to-face with the question of "what do you truly value?" Would he return to his residency in neurosurgery and attempt to graduate? The feat he had been tirelessly working on for years? Or would he and his wife focus on starting a family? Like Morrie Schwartz, he grappled with the "big questions" and sought to be fully present in the moments that he had left.
The end of the book, as you probably suspect, is sad. But I think the ideas and approach to life illustrated in this book, as well as "Tuesdays with Morrie," give the readers a sense of comfort and a road map to help those struggling with understanding death. Rather than focusing on the limited time you may have left, whether it be days, weeks, months, years, or decades, instead focus on making the most of each moment.