Tag: when breath becomes air

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a review

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a review
whenbreath

Spoilers ahead! Readers be warned.

When Breath Becomes Air is Paul Kalanithi’s life story. He relates how he got into neuroscience, his exhausting and life consuming training, his illness, and his eventual transition out of this world into the next.

At first, Paul didn’t even want to become a surgeon because his own father was one and he saw how hard it was to balance work and family: “When we did see him, late at night or on weekends, he was an amalgam of sweet affections and austere diktats, hugs and kisses mixed with stony pronouncements … He had reached some compromise in his mind that fatherhood could be distilled; short, concentrated (but sincere) bursts of high intensity could equal.. whatever it was that other fathers did. All I knew was, if that was the price of medicine, it was simply too high.” pgs 24-25, ebook.

Even though he started out as an English major, Paul’s own interests led him toward the medical profession anyway. Similarly, I started out as a music major in college but switched to political science my sophomore year.

Why? I knew, somehow, that governmental systems were where my academic interest lived and I haven’t regretted that decision for a moment. Isn’t it funny how life leads us down paths we may never have envisioned for ourselves?

Back to When Breath Becomes Air– I was glad that Paul made the decision to follow a different life path because it seemed to be the perfect fit for him. In this book, Paul’s stories reveal his passion about the field of medicine and commitment to making the best decisions for the patients in his care. He was interested in what makes life worth living and how the brain’s functions effect quality of life.

I was particularly interested in that last bit. Sometimes, and I’m not going to point any fingers here, doctors and professionals of all stripes get caught up in the power, prestige, and monetary rewards that come with a position, forgetting the reason why they started in their field in the first place- to help people.

For the rest of this review and Light Congress symbolism, see my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheLightCongress/posts/when-breath-air-171599447

Thanks for reading!

Heidi