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Summary Atul Gawande's Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
This is a Summary of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, where this bestselling author tackles the hardest challenge of his how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
Available in a variety of formats, this summary is aimed for those who want to capture the gist of the book but don't have the current time to devour all 304 pages. You get the main summary along with all of the benefits and lessons the actual book has to offer.
Ant Hive Media reads every chapter, extracts the understanding and leaves you with a new perspective and time to spare. We do the work so you can understand the book in minutes, not hours.
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
Available in a variety of formats, this summary is aimed for those who want to capture the gist of the book but don't have the current time to devour all 304 pages. You get the main summary along with all of the benefits and lessons the actual book has to offer.
Ant Hive Media reads every chapter, extracts the understanding and leaves you with a new perspective and time to spare. We do the work so you can understand the book in minutes, not hours.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2015
36 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 27, 2017
This is a really good book written in a personal and conversational style, yet with a touch of professionalism. It is very informative touching upon various aspects of health care for the aged and terminally ill: assisted living, nursing homes, hospice care and hospitals. Gawande does not shy away from the difficult topics of facing deaths, failure, difficult conversations etc. Between the chapters, he intertwines the story of his struggles, and the choices he made when faced with the same dilemmas as his patients. I really liked it even though some parts were quite emotional. Highly recommended read!
May 5, 2016
I read this for bookclub - and I really enjoyed it. All of us are going to die sometime, and this is an excellent look at the end of life decisions that we will all have to make sometime - written by a Surgeon who has participated patients facing the issue. It's really a must read for all of us. If it weren't for my bookclub, I probably would never have read this - I'm so glad that I did.
I see that the image of the book is of the "Summary" - I read the book not the summary, but I don't know how to change this.
I see that the image of the book is of the "Summary" - I read the book not the summary, but I don't know how to change this.
September 11, 2018
This is a remarkable book, one which I encourage any serious reader to explore, so valuable is it to our human journey through this world. The book's subtitle outlines its focus: Medicine and What Matters in the End. The author, a physician, looks honestly at medicine's inability to give us quality of life when threatened with a terminal illness and simultaneously encourages patients and family to sort out what is important to them as they approach death.
The book is anything but a philosophical discussion, permeated as it is with poignantly presented case studies the doctor himself has encountered as well as the work of other professionals seeking new solutions to how we treat the dying. He spends much time examining the concept of assisted living which he finds is often heavy on the "assisted" while passing over the "living" aspect of the concept. Yes, a patient may need assistance but he or she should have autonomy over what that assistance should be, elevating the patient to a participant in extended care situations, one whose wishes regarding independence should be respected to the greatest degree possible.
In the book, he describes some assisted living models which seek to restore the person's interest in life through animals, birds, plants and human interaction with others, but only to the extent that the patient wants it. He flatly opposes the super-organized nursing home which in his eyes is run solely for the convenience of the caretakers, resulting in regimented schedules and performing tasks for patients they can who can dress themselves for the sake of efficiency, thus limiting the person to an almost military-style life, largely under the control of others.
Beyond the though-provoking ideas presented by the authors is his writing style, so down to earth, so full of meaningful examples. This is a very easy to read, enjoyable book which will plant ideas in the thoughtful reader's mind that bear deeper thought, especially when it comes to how one will exit this life.
The book is anything but a philosophical discussion, permeated as it is with poignantly presented case studies the doctor himself has encountered as well as the work of other professionals seeking new solutions to how we treat the dying. He spends much time examining the concept of assisted living which he finds is often heavy on the "assisted" while passing over the "living" aspect of the concept. Yes, a patient may need assistance but he or she should have autonomy over what that assistance should be, elevating the patient to a participant in extended care situations, one whose wishes regarding independence should be respected to the greatest degree possible.
In the book, he describes some assisted living models which seek to restore the person's interest in life through animals, birds, plants and human interaction with others, but only to the extent that the patient wants it. He flatly opposes the super-organized nursing home which in his eyes is run solely for the convenience of the caretakers, resulting in regimented schedules and performing tasks for patients they can who can dress themselves for the sake of efficiency, thus limiting the person to an almost military-style life, largely under the control of others.
Beyond the though-provoking ideas presented by the authors is his writing style, so down to earth, so full of meaningful examples. This is a very easy to read, enjoyable book which will plant ideas in the thoughtful reader's mind that bear deeper thought, especially when it comes to how one will exit this life.
August 27, 2018
Gawande toggles easily among the experiences of the elderly who are facing end of life decisions, their families, and medical practitioners. The book outlines a radical critique of medical practice today and the institutions that most people are confined (condemned?) to when they can no longer care for themselves. The author outlines briefly how we got here over the last century and provides examples of alternatives that break with the status quo. As he says, we're in a period of transition from the old default of always choosing the most aggressive treatment options to a new outlook of asking first what the patient/dying person wants during what time remains to them. He critiques the old paternalistic model of "the doctor knows best" that many of us grew up with and the "informational" approach of his generation: give the patient the information about their options and let them decide, which is often just overwhelming. He argues for a third, interpretive model, of sharing discussion and requiring doctors to understand the patient's desires and goals and on that basis working with them to find the approach that will get them as close to those goals as possible. We all have and will face death in our lives, of loved ones and ultimately our own. This book encourages us to face it in new holistic and humane ways.
July 5, 2020
I read this book 6 years ago and helped me prepare for my MIL passing… Still applicable and thinking of HOW TO PREPARE death which is inevitable to all; and refocus on how to live. Old age is a continuous series of losses; old ages is not a battle but a MASSACRE!
“For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story… we have purposes larger than ourselves. Our story is ESSENTIAL to sustaining meaning in life. Transform the possibilities for the last chapters of our lives. Our ultimate goal is NOT a good death, buta good life to the end! We may not control life’s circumstances but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them!”
삶을 가치있게 살려면, 나이 위주가아닌 관점위주로.. 인간의 존엄성을 간직하기 위해서, 특히 노인세대 1)안전 2)자유 둘다 필요하다. 노인들의 문제들 1)무력함 2)외로움 3)무의미. 인간깊숙히 “대의”, 나를 넘어 타인을 위해, 또 나만을 위하기 보단 공동체의 소속, 더 큰 목적을 위해 살고싶어하는 욕구가 있다. 그 상대가 신이든, 종교이든, 가족이든, 애완동물이든… 그래야 자아실현위, 초월 단계에 도달 가능.
통증의 측도: 정점과 종점의 평균. 마라톤을 달릴때의 고통은 심하지만, 도착했을때의 환희가 너무 크니깐, 또 계속 마라톤을 하게된다. 산모가 애를 놓은 진통은 8-24 시간동안 인간이 경험할수있는 최대의 통증이지만, 애들 안는순간 그기쁨이 너무 크기에 고통은 곧 과거의 경험이된다. 반대의 경우 역시 마찬가지, 우리 축구팀이 아무리 잘 게임을 2-3 시간동안 진행했어도 막판에 지면, 우리는 2-3 시간의 즐거움보단 마지막 2-3분의 패배경험으로 완전 찹친 기분이된다. 그러므로, 결론이 중요하다. 어떤 이야기의 끝을 내느냐에 따라, 그과정의 즐거움/고통은 줄어들게 되어있다.
“For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story… we have purposes larger than ourselves. Our story is ESSENTIAL to sustaining meaning in life. Transform the possibilities for the last chapters of our lives. Our ultimate goal is NOT a good death, buta good life to the end! We may not control life’s circumstances but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them!”
삶을 가치있게 살려면, 나이 위주가아닌 관점위주로.. 인간의 존엄성을 간직하기 위해서, 특히 노인세대 1)안전 2)자유 둘다 필요하다. 노인들의 문제들 1)무력함 2)외로움 3)무의미. 인간깊숙히 “대의”, 나를 넘어 타인을 위해, 또 나만을 위하기 보단 공동체의 소속, 더 큰 목적을 위해 살고싶어하는 욕구가 있다. 그 상대가 신이든, 종교이든, 가족이든, 애완동물이든… 그래야 자아실현위, 초월 단계에 도달 가능.
통증의 측도: 정점과 종점의 평균. 마라톤을 달릴때의 고통은 심하지만, 도착했을때의 환희가 너무 크니깐, 또 계속 마라톤을 하게된다. 산모가 애를 놓은 진통은 8-24 시간동안 인간이 경험할수있는 최대의 통증이지만, 애들 안는순간 그기쁨이 너무 크기에 고통은 곧 과거의 경험이된다. 반대의 경우 역시 마찬가지, 우리 축구팀이 아무리 잘 게임을 2-3 시간동안 진행했어도 막판에 지면, 우리는 2-3 시간의 즐거움보단 마지막 2-3분의 패배경험으로 완전 찹친 기분이된다. 그러므로, 결론이 중요하다. 어떤 이야기의 끝을 내느냐에 따라, 그과정의 즐거움/고통은 줄어들게 되어있다.
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December 4, 2020A must read for every Mortal. Professional, engaging, thought provoking and very insightful into the process of aging and of coming to terms with the idea of our mortality. Dr. Gawande is a thoughtful surgeon, considerate human being and a very talented writer. His observation about experiencing self and remembering self is very enlightening. Hindus view on life is that experiencing self is unchangeable and is your true identity; while remembering self is your mind and changes based on life’s situations. And that one should always root oneself in the unchangeable self.
How we live is how we die. People with meaningful relationships, loving families, deep faith and most importantly high values of love, empathy and selflessness tend to exit this world with more peace than others. If meaning in our lives come from the story we tell ourselves, like Dr. Gawande says, then how we weave our stories depends on our value system. So, it’s important that we pay attention to the way we believe and lead our lives. Having lived a life of joy and meaning makes people accept their mortality with more grace and are able to remain relatively more peaceful in any given situation than those who live less satisfied lives.
How we live is how we die. People with meaningful relationships, loving families, deep faith and most importantly high values of love, empathy and selflessness tend to exit this world with more peace than others. If meaning in our lives come from the story we tell ourselves, like Dr. Gawande says, then how we weave our stories depends on our value system. So, it’s important that we pay attention to the way we believe and lead our lives. Having lived a life of joy and meaning makes people accept their mortality with more grace and are able to remain relatively more peaceful in any given situation than those who live less satisfied lives.
September 24, 2022
Книга напоминает нам всем, что смерть неизбежна, и что умирающие от болезни зачастую только в этот момент об этом задумаются.
Что, в сочетании с чудесами медицины, как правило приводит к тому, что последние их дни становятся ненужной пыткой.
Их оживляют с помощью интубации, операций и множества других медицинских манипуляций.
Которые успешно спасают жизни людей, но только в случае если им уже не пришло время умереть.
Особое доверие вызывает то, что книгу написал хирург - элита медицины, вся профессия которого нацелена на исцеление.
Но он видел слишком много ненужных манипуляций в ситуации, когда правильнее всего отправить человека в хоспис, избавить его от мучений и дать спокойно умереть.
Звучит на первый взгляд крамольно, но ведь никто не может дать человеку вечную жизнь.
И медицина сейчас уже как минимум знает, в каких ситуациях она бессильна.
Так зачем пытать человека, и по сути лишать его последних часов или дней, а иногда месяцев жизни, почему не дать ему спокойно их прожить.
Если альтернатива - продление жизни с дней на недели, но превращение всех этих недель в муки уже ничего не соображающего существа, давно переставшего быть человеком.
Что, в сочетании с чудесами медицины, как правило приводит к тому, что последние их дни становятся ненужной пыткой.
Их оживляют с помощью интубации, операций и множества других медицинских манипуляций.
Которые успешно спасают жизни людей, но только в случае если им уже не пришло время умереть.
Особое доверие вызывает то, что книгу написал хирург - элита медицины, вся профессия которого нацелена на исцеление.
Но он видел слишком много ненужных манипуляций в ситуации, когда правильнее всего отправить человека в хоспис, избавить его от мучений и дать спокойно умереть.
Звучит на первый взгляд крамольно, но ведь никто не может дать человеку вечную жизнь.
И медицина сейчас уже как минимум знает, в каких ситуациях она бессильна.
Так зачем пытать человека, и по сути лишать его последних часов или дней, а иногда месяцев жизни, почему не дать ему спокойно их прожить.
Если альтернатива - продление жизни с дней на недели, но превращение всех этих недель в муки уже ничего не соображающего существа, давно переставшего быть человеком.
April 25, 2019
Definitely read this book! I Loved this book and it’s one of the few books I’ve read that i would consider reading again! It is so pertinent for anyone who is going to die (all of us!) and definitely a must read for medical professionals. I loved the way the author intertwined the history of how people die and how it’s changed along with stories about his patients and about his family experiences.
Having worked almost nine years in the PCICU I have dealt with dying and thought more about death than most people but this book was really eye opening and even had helpful statements to use that I find myself saying even in “non-death” situations. One of my favorites is: “I wish things were different” it is such a meaningful sentence that acknowledges that another person is going through a shitty situation. Obviously there is nothing I can do to change it or fix the shitty situation, but that I would change it if I could.
Having worked almost nine years in the PCICU I have dealt with dying and thought more about death than most people but this book was really eye opening and even had helpful statements to use that I find myself saying even in “non-death” situations. One of my favorites is: “I wish things were different” it is such a meaningful sentence that acknowledges that another person is going through a shitty situation. Obviously there is nothing I can do to change it or fix the shitty situation, but that I would change it if I could.
June 14, 2018
I found the book terrificly engaging in a most challenging subject. Gawande’s stories, experiences with his father’s illness and death, and his work with dying patients draws the drapes back on what we fear. His ideas of talking about quality of life are positive and even a hopeful antidote to a nursing home experience. Having worked with people with dementia, I have learned that all people can be respected. Efforts to provide a positive quality of life based on a person’s wishes is, I hope, the goal of caretakers, families, and institutions serving the elderly and the ill.
Discussion is helpful to
Discussion is helpful to
July 29, 2018
This was the second time I picked this book up to read. I initially tossed it aside because my.aummary of the initial pages was that here was a doctor recognizing his own arrogance (what most nurses can assess in 10 minutes of meeting the doctor) so I tossed it. Then someone else recommended so I started again and persevered and he make very salient points a out how.to manage aging and dying well. It makes one understand that we should all be having conversations with our older family members to understand how they want to live when their health declines.
January 15, 2022
Our entire lives are mostly centered around ourselves, but only in our old age do we realize there was so much we could've done for the betterment of our own parents had we known things early on. I'm grateful to have read this book at a young age to fathom the situation one is going to soon encounter and the mindset one needs to have. No friend really teaches us to be a good son, a good daughter, maybe that is why we call to book a man's best friend because that is exactly what this book has taught me.
July 31, 2018
I wish I have read this book when my grandmother was ill. Makes me think about life and end of life, it good to always start early in the planning and thinking about it for we are all mortals, it grounds me and puts me in perspective of what end of life is like for an elderly person. Helps me understand what my parents or I will go through in the later days of our life, a highly recommended read for all people.
September 6, 2019
This book takes a very hard look at a subject that most folks in the US don't want to face. In retrospect, I'd suggest it be required reading for anyone who has reached that point in life where you finally have to admit, " I'm not young any more". The multi faceted storyline leads one through many of the possible scenarios and more importantly, suggests ways to approach the realities.
August 9, 2023
With elderly parents and a husband disabled with Parkinson’s Disease, this book opened up a line of thought towards preparing for the best end of life experience possible for all concerned. Gawande shed light on the evolution of aged care and its relationship with medical intervention, not always to the benefit of those involved.
October 30, 2018
I found this book morbid in the beginning but then it made lots of sense. Takes you into the eyes of how a doctor & the medical field should be treating their patients.
I found it very informative especially with all our family is dealing with at the present time with my brother.
I found it very informative especially with all our family is dealing with at the present time with my brother.
November 15, 2022
I read half of it as it was interesting, but set in America so I didn't carry on with it. A good writing style and I enjoyed what I did read although I already knew all that. Like Bette Davis said 'Getting old is no place for sissies.'
June 14, 2017
An important book for everyone to read.
August 21, 2017
Profound inquiry into the nature of death and dying.
October 15, 2017
An essential, important read. Try to get to it before you're old...
December 2, 2017
A thought provoking, very important book.
I’m recommending it to everyone I know.
I’m recommending it to everyone I know.
May 23, 2018
Excellent read. Highly recommended book on how medicine and our culture deal with old age, terminal illness and dying.
October 5, 2018
This book changed so many of my views about end of life living and dying. Super powerful book. Interesting and beautifully written.
August 10, 2019
Interesting. Had me thinking about all that he has written. WE all know life ends and all hope for a long one
August 10, 2019
A book that opened a lot of self reflections for myself. I would definitely recommend every one is all stages of life to read.
August 18, 2019
Must read for anyone 50+
January 2, 2020
Unpleasant reading! And very well written - perhaps the only book on the topic to frame ones thinking!
September 19, 2020
Medicine and what matters on the end
January 30, 2021
A must read. Such great advice on having meaningful conversations with loved ones as they navigate drying.
October 22, 2021
It's an overlooked topic, especially relevant in today's globalized world where it is common to live far away from the parents / elderly in the family
October 7, 2016
A though provoking book about illness and compassionate care rather than just medical care.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews