Being Mortal
About this product
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, and Chicago Tribune, now in paperback with a new reading group guide
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. Read more
Editor's Take
Being Mortal is widely praised by readers for being beautifully written, thoughtful, and emotionally powerful. Goodreads reviewers call it an important and moving book about mortality, aging, and end-of-life care, while Amazon reviewers say it is well-written, engaging, and especially valuable for families and medical students facing difficult decisions.
Readers also highlight the book’s practical insights into assisted living, palliative care, and how medicine sometimes falls short in supporting quality of life. Some reviews note that it can be emotionally hard to read, but still deeply worthwhile and eye-opening. Book review coverage from major outlets describes it as a humane, original, and important exploration of how to age and die with dignity.
On Reddit, discussion is similarly positive, with users generally recommending it as a meaningful and memorable read.
YouTube results: A real YouTube video for this title appeared in search results, but only one clearly relevant video URL was found, so the video ID list contains one item.
Price History
Specifications
| Publisher | Metropolitan Books |
| Publication date | September 5, 2017 |
| Edition | Reprint |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 304 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1250076226 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1250076229 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.15 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,254 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Health Policy (Books) #1 in Hospice Care #2 in Death |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (49,526) |
