Description
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming the dangers of childbirth, injury, and disease from harrowing to manageable. But when it comes to the inescapable realities of aging and death, what medicine can do often runs counter to what it should.
Through eye-opening research and gripping stories of his own patients and family, Gawande reveals the suffering this dynamic has produced. Nursing homes, devoted above all to safety, battle with residents over the food they are allowed to eat and the choices they are allowed to make. Doctors, uncomfortable discussing patients' anxieties about death, fall back on false hopes and treatments that are actually shortening lives instead of improving them.
In his bestselling books, Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, has fearlessly revealed the struggles of his profession. Here he examines its ultimate limitations and failures―in his own practices as well as others'―as life draws to a close. Riveting, honest, and humane, Being Mortal shows how the ultimate goal is not a good death but a good life―all the way to the very end.
Details
Discover the eye-opening truths about aging and death in Atul Gawande's bestselling book, Being Mortal. Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, and Chicago Tribune, this paperback edition comes with a new reading group guide. The book highlights how, despite all the advances in medicine, it often falls short when it comes to helping people through the inevitable realities of aging and facing their own mortality.
With powerful research and poignant personal stories, Gawande sheds light on the suffering caused by our healthcare system's approach to end-of-life care. He examines the conflicted nature of nursing homes, which prioritize safety over personal autonomy, and the tendency of doctors to avoid honest conversations about death. These practices can lead to unnecessary suffering and even shorten lives instead of improving them.
As a practicing surgeon, Gawande fearlessly confronts the limitations and failures of his own profession and others. Being Mortal is a riveting and honest exploration of how we can aim for not just a good death, but a good life until the very end. It challenges us to rethink our approach to aging and death, and to prioritize what truly matters in the final stages of life.
Don't miss out on this thought-provoking and compassionate book that will change how you view aging and end-of-life care. Order your copy of Being Mortal today and join the conversation on redefining what it means to live well.
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