As a young neurosurgeon finishing his residency, Paul Kalanithi had a bright future until his stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis at 36. Faced with this terminal disease, Kalanithi reviews his journey from a young student fascinated by literature to a neurosurgeon leveraging his training to provide the best patient care, and finally, to being a patient himself and making peace with his mortality. When Breath Becomes Air is an exquisite memoir that chronicles Kalanithi's transformation, bravery, and legacy.

I read When Breath Becomes Air for a book club at work; it is truly a life-altering experience. For one thing, Kalanithi's profound reflection on the meaning of life and his unflinching view of death is one that I've never dwelled on but moved me to tears. I was also deeply moved by his dedication to providing care as a doctor; when surgeries and residency training are taking so much from him, Kalanithi's devotion to medicine is refreshing compared to most resident friends I hear from.

As someone who works in the cancer biotech industry, When Breath Becomes Air provides a different angle of understanding my work and its influence. At my work book club, we discussed the impacts of Kalanithi's book on how we view our jobs. One common theme is to be more forgiving of our scientific failures and not to lose sight of the final goal to help patients when science doesn't work out. For this, I am grateful for the chance to read When Breath Becomes Air.

Paul Kalanithi passed away while writing When Breath Becomes Air, and his wife Lucy completed the book with her epilogue. Personally, the epilogue is what broke me. Lucy's way of remembering Paul is something I hope I have the bravery to carry with me when my loved ones pass away. When Breath Becomes Air is a glorious celebration of life and a courageous search for our purpose.