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A review by katsbooks
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
“Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end.”
“You may not control life's circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.”
“Courage is strength in the face of knowledge of what is to be feared or hoped. Wisdom is prudent strength.”
I was so impressed with how well-written this book was. Usually when I read non-fiction, I've already resigned myself to struggling through the writing. I even try and make sure that I have the audio version if it's available because I know it'll be easier for me to digest that way. However, I read this entire book physically despite having borrowed the audio version on Libby. It was so readable!
It also really made me think about how we treat aging and the elderly in the United States. I've never realized how institutionalized elder care has become. I knew nursing homes were creepy and depressing but now I feel like I understand why. And, frankly, this book was a bit hard to read at times. It really makes you think about your own mortality and the mortality of the people around you. I genuinely teared up at certain points. I would highly recommend reading this with someone else or with a book club. It's definitely going to something you'll want to process.
“You may not control life's circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.”
“Courage is strength in the face of knowledge of what is to be feared or hoped. Wisdom is prudent strength.”
I was so impressed with how well-written this book was. Usually when I read non-fiction, I've already resigned myself to struggling through the writing. I even try and make sure that I have the audio version if it's available because I know it'll be easier for me to digest that way. However, I read this entire book physically despite having borrowed the audio version on Libby. It was so readable!
It also really made me think about how we treat aging and the elderly in the United States. I've never realized how institutionalized elder care has become. I knew nursing homes were creepy and depressing but now I feel like I understand why. And, frankly, this book was a bit hard to read at times. It really makes you think about your own mortality and the mortality of the people around you. I genuinely teared up at certain points. I would highly recommend reading this with someone else or with a book club. It's definitely going to something you'll want to process.