Book - Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande

Hardback, 285 pages with deckled edges, published 2014. Excellent used condition. Minimal signs of cosmetic wear to the dust cover, and a couple of pages have dog ears, but this copy is gently loved. The binding is tight and all pages are intact. No writing, no highlights. "Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitations, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Modern medicine has transformed society and created wonderful outcomes that were unheard-of in prior eras, but Gawande argues that the goals of the healthcare system seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit when the condition of aging inevitably comes our way. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out procedures that in the end serve only to extend our loved ones' suffering. Here, he offers examples of freer and more socially-fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and the dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care, to demonstrate that a person's final time on earth may be rich and dignified. This book is full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, and asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good farewell." 💖 You may have come across Gawande on social media. He's an extremely engaging writer, and--as is his hallmark--this book is well researched with plenty of bibliographic notes. 💯