My decision to read Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande was driven by recommendations from both friends and clients. For the past few weeks I've been reading at a sluggish pace, unable to be swept away by a compelling narrative. My reading drought ended with Being Mortal, a nonfiction look at the end-of-life questions we should all be contemplating no matter our age or stage in life. As Gwande writes, "we only die once" -- let's get it right.
Gwande writes from the perspective of a physician, educator, and son helping his aging relatives on their final journey. Stories from his life and his patient's lives blend expertly with anthropological views on dying to modern statistics to an examination of what independence means to Americans.
Only one element was missing from this book in my opinion; the book was missing a nice neat list of questions a patient could pose to his or her doctor when faced with a possible terminal illness. Gwande's book illustrates how important the role of physician can be in making the most of one's final days, and sadly that physician is not common place. Those questions might help with deciding which medical expert to work with. Having read Being Mortal I know that the questions "what do you fear the most?" and "what are your goals, what matters to you?" are key. Answers to these questions are vital to navigating the plethora of options laid out by physicians.
From caretaker to medical professionals to loved ones to patient, anyone would benefit from reading Being Mortal.
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