Als adem lucht wordt

I feel icky giving low ratings to memoirs and biographies, but I just can't bring myself to give more than 3 stars for this one.

It was interesting to be able to see life through the lens of a neurosurgeon. But I felt like there were few moments where I was actually learning about what Paul went through, what he learned, what he truly felt. It lacked the emotion that I expected with someone coming to terms with knowing that their life will be short-lived and trying to move along with that. I learned far more in the afterword from his wife than I did in the entire book.

I also just have a particular dislike for people who decide to have kids when they know one parent will not be alive to see that child grow past being a toddler. It's not my life, and people should live how they want, but I just really don't like seeing it being done and glorified like it's some amazing thing when that child will be dealing with the trauma of never knowing a parent for their whole life.

Overall, this felt like an acquaintance just quickly trying to tell you what they've been going through, and they're not comfortable enough to really let you know how they're doing and what's really going on.

I wanted to read this one for a while and finally got around to it. It is such a powerful musing on what gives life meaning, in face of death. Stunningly written, just beautiful. We'll worth reading.

Among the most powerful books I've ever read. It is hard to believe how completely Dr. Kalanithi covers just about every topic that matters in a life well-lived: birth, death, grief, love, fatherhood, morality, Christianity, literature, childhood, marriage, faith, friendship... I'm sure I'm missing even more. I am moved at how he faced a certain death; I'm in awe of his ability to express the journey in such a clear, profound way; I grieve for a world that lost one of the greats far too soon.

This is a magnificent tour de force of a book. It's a book only he could have written, and I am eternally grateful that he did.