Paul Kalanithi: When Breath Becomes Air

A heartbreaking memoir of a young neurosurgeon who faced his own terminal illness. Even in his final days on earth, Dr. Kalanithi managed to leave us with his courageous, compassionate words on dealing with death. In her epilogue, his wife writes: “Paul’s decision to look death right in the eye was a testament not just who he was in the final hours of his life but who he had always been. For much of his life, Paul wondered about death—and whether he could face it with integrity. In the end, the answer was yes.” Lung cancer claimed his body but never his spirit. It’s a painful yet beautiful read.