#1NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLER-PULITZERPRIZEFINALIST-Thisinspiring,exquisitelyobservedmemoirfindshopeandbeautyinthefaceofinsurmountableoddsasanidealisticyoungneurosurgeonattemptstoanswerthequestionWhatmakesalifeworthliving?NAMEDONEOFPASTE’SBESTMEMOIRSOFTHEDECADE-NAMEDONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEARBYTheNewYorkTimesBookReview-People-NPR-TheWashingtonPost-Slate-Harper’sBazaar-TimeOutNewYork-PublishersWeekly-BookPageFinalistforthePENCenterUSALiteraryAwardinCreativeNonfictionandtheBooksforaBetterLifeAwardinInspirationalMemoirAttheageofthirty-six,onthevergeofcompletingadecade’sworthoftrainingasaneurosurgeon,PaulKalanithiwasdiagnosedwithstageIVlungcancer.Onedayhewasadoctortreatingthedying,andthenexthewasapatientstrugglingtolive.Andjustlikethat,thefutureheandhiswifehadimaginedevaporated.WhenBreathBecomesAirchroniclesKalanithi’stransformationfromana簿vemedicalstudent“possessed,“ashewrote,“bythequestionofwhat,giventhatallorganismsdie,makesavirtuousandmeaningfullife“intoaneurosurgeonatStanfordworkinginthebrain,themostcriticalplaceforhumanidentity,andfinallyintoapatientandnewfatherconfrontinghisownmortality.Whatmakeslifeworthlivinginthefaceofdeath?Whatdoyoudowhenthefuture,nolongeraladdertowardyourgoalsinlife,flattensoutintoaperpetualpresent?Whatdoesitmeantohaveachild,tonurtureanewlifeasanotherfadesaway?ThesearesomeofthequestionsKalanithiwrestleswithinthisprofoundlymoving,exquisitelyobservedmemoir.PaulKalanithidiedinMarch2015,whileworkingonthisbook,yethiswordsliveonasaguideandagifttousall.“Ibegantorealizethatcomingfacetofacewithmyownmortality,inasense,hadchangednothingandeverything,“hewrote.“SevenwordsfromSamuelBeckettbegantorepeatinmyhead:’Ican’tgoon.I’llgoon.’“WhenBreathBecomesAirisanunforgettable,life-affirmingreflectiononthechallengeoffacingdeathandontherelationshipbetweendoctorandpatient,fromabrilliantwriterwhobecameboth.
