When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Paul Kalanithi
Star Rating
★★★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Jan 3, 2023

First, the readers are introduced to the author by another source, Abraham Verghese, who admits to only knowing Paul Kalanithi after his death. This meant that readers knew the end of the book before it even began. Verghese explains the importance of the book and sets high expectations for the readers as they flip the pages and move on to the prologue. As Kalanithi introduces himself, his audience is drawn to learn more about his life. The book's first part shows his passion for writing and calling toward a medical degree. He learns that he must pursue a medical career in order to get answers and take a journey that had the potential to change his life. As he's on this journey toward a successful career, he starts to lose a sense of humanity and ethics. Soon after, the readers are hit with the shocking discovery that Kalanithi has been diagnosed with cancer early in his career path. Alli his dreams are shattering as he is forced to suddenly accept this new reality. He battles through his inability to perform surgery as efficiently as he once could, showing how all his hard work had gone to waste. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the philosophical aspect of this book. I loved how the book presented readers with unanswered and unanswerable questions that everyone thinks ofi but no one puts too much thought into. I wasn't prepared to question the-meaning of life and the existence of an afterlife while reading this book. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who reads nonfiction and biographies, as well as anyone who enjoys tackling questions about the unknown. 

Written by
Aadhya B

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