What do you think?
Rate this book
Summary: When Breath Becomes Air: by Paul Kalanithi
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Book Summary Readtrepreneur
(Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search this link http: //amzn.to/2vO4H8a)
What makes life worth living? Paul has always strove to understand the meaning of life - first through literature, then through medicine. This book When Breath Becomes Air tells us the true story of Paul Kalanithi, who always wondered about the meaning of life and death. Paul brings us through his journey as a surgeon and a patient, as we understand more about the struggles of their battles with cancer.
(Note: This summary is wholly written and published by readtrepreneur.com It is not affiliated with the original author in any way)
"Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete." - Paul Kalanithi
As a neurosurgeon, Paul has always come face to face with life and death of his patients. He had guided many families through the deaths of his many patients but when Paul became a patient of cancer himself, he was clueless.
From a neurosurgeon with a bright future to a man facing death, Paul debated on his next course of action and still strove to make the most out of the limited time he had. P.S. This is a truly heart-warming, page-turning book that gives readers a deeper insight of life and death which will make you laugh and cry as late Paul Kalanithi tells his story.
The Time for Thinking is Over! Time for Action! Scroll Up Now and Click on the "Buy now with 1-Click" Button to Get Your Copy Sent to Your Doorstep As soon as possible!
Why Choose Us, Readtrepreneur?
Highest Quality Summaries
Delivers Amazing Knowledge
Awesome Refresher
Clear And Concise
Disclaimer Once Again: This book is meant for a great companionship of the original book or to simply get the gist of the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search for this link: http: //amzn.to/2vO4H8a
What makes life worth living? Paul has always strove to understand the meaning of life - first through literature, then through medicine. This book When Breath Becomes Air tells us the true story of Paul Kalanithi, who always wondered about the meaning of life and death. Paul brings us through his journey as a surgeon and a patient, as we understand more about the struggles of their battles with cancer.
(Note: This summary is wholly written and published by readtrepreneur.com It is not affiliated with the original author in any way)
"Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete." - Paul Kalanithi
As a neurosurgeon, Paul has always come face to face with life and death of his patients. He had guided many families through the deaths of his many patients but when Paul became a patient of cancer himself, he was clueless.
From a neurosurgeon with a bright future to a man facing death, Paul debated on his next course of action and still strove to make the most out of the limited time he had. P.S. This is a truly heart-warming, page-turning book that gives readers a deeper insight of life and death which will make you laugh and cry as late Paul Kalanithi tells his story.
The Time for Thinking is Over! Time for Action! Scroll Up Now and Click on the "Buy now with 1-Click" Button to Get Your Copy Sent to Your Doorstep As soon as possible!
Why Choose Us, Readtrepreneur?
Highest Quality Summaries
Delivers Amazing Knowledge
Awesome Refresher
Clear And Concise
Disclaimer Once Again: This book is meant for a great companionship of the original book or to simply get the gist of the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search for this link: http: //amzn.to/2vO4H8a
42 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2017
19 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 10, 2026
This autobiographical memoir of Paul Kalanithi, a well established neurosurgeon, having highly sincere fondness for literature, metaphysics, arts andwriting , battling with lung cancer in his mid 30s and yet having the character to put down his life and his learnings in the form of this book.
Giving example of Keats and T.s. Eliot author shows his love for knowing about the complicacies of life.
I read very small amount of autobiographical novels , but this is one of the best because this is about individual's life who saves life and had to deal with cancer give us lesson that life is ironic and also gives us lesson what they have experienced in their life, moment of courage, love for family, time with them, living one day at a time, giving what they learn from universe.
From being a doctor and treating other patients to himself being a patient and being aware that not much time is left in his life , while dealing with cancer he still have love for his profession and he came down to do surgery for many patients shows us what a character of person he would have been all in the face of death. It didn't bother him till he decided that he won't be able to do justice with his work anymore he done his work and inform about it.
Giving example of Keats and T.s. Eliot author shows his love for knowing about the complicacies of life.
I read very small amount of autobiographical novels , but this is one of the best because this is about individual's life who saves life and had to deal with cancer give us lesson that life is ironic and also gives us lesson what they have experienced in their life, moment of courage, love for family, time with them, living one day at a time, giving what they learn from universe.
From being a doctor and treating other patients to himself being a patient and being aware that not much time is left in his life , while dealing with cancer he still have love for his profession and he came down to do surgery for many patients shows us what a character of person he would have been all in the face of death. It didn't bother him till he decided that he won't be able to do justice with his work anymore he done his work and inform about it.
January 17, 2026
The author of this book, Paul Kalanithi, was a highly talented neurosurgeon and a profound admirer of literature and philosophy. Just as he was about to complete his residency training and reach the peak of his career, he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer—a disease he himself had often diagnosed as terminal in his patients. From that day on, he transformed from the "giver" on the operating table to the "receiver" in the hospital bed. This complete reversal of roles allowed him to examine medicine, life, death, and meaning from a dual perspective.
March 6, 2019
A book described Paul’s life from doctor to patient, Reminder to whatever we are given in this world we will learn about love in either side of the coin. I’m particular moved by the epilogue written by his Wife after his death.
October 15, 2018
Just like the title, once you read the full book, you just get obsorbed emotionally and being loved and most of All family bonding.
May 1, 2019
I wanted to keep reading this book from the minute I started until it was over. I loved his perspective as he faced death and I loved the detail about his medical study and practice as well.
June 2, 2019
One of the books that changes your perspective on life. It helps you not take anything for granted. I listened to the audiobook; the narrator was outstanding.
September 21, 2019
summary link:
https://jamesclear.com/book-summaries...
https://jamesclear.com/book-summaries...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2021
Quick read. Paul was probably a cool guy.
December 20, 2022
The brain enables one to understand life’s meaning. I respect this man as a neurosurgeon, but not so much his writing.
November 26, 2025
Really good memoir
June 6, 2018
***SPOILER ALERTS***
This is a heartbreaking true story that is written in beautiful prose by a young neurosurgeon who finds himself transformed from a physician to a patient dying of terminal lung cancer. It is written in the first person as we follow this young physician's trek towards his death. We get to feel his innermost turmoil as he works his way through the steps until he reaches acceptance of the inevitable. It is not maudlin nor overly a medical textbook which is why it touches the soul as it does. It is easy to emphasize with this young married couple given how they opened their relationship to us. This novel is both difficult yet simple to read. You wonder why cancer strikes at such a young age. Kalanithi throws teaching into the novel when he tells us how the cancer had the opportunity to get so far advanced when both he and his primary care physician glossed over his initial symptoms. It is difficult to say that I enjoyed this novel but at minimum, I experienced this book and cried when Dr. Paul Kalanithi passed away, leaving his wife, infant daughter and a multitude of friends and patients to celebrate his life. It is most definitely a book that I would recommend to a friend. 4.3****
This is a heartbreaking true story that is written in beautiful prose by a young neurosurgeon who finds himself transformed from a physician to a patient dying of terminal lung cancer. It is written in the first person as we follow this young physician's trek towards his death. We get to feel his innermost turmoil as he works his way through the steps until he reaches acceptance of the inevitable. It is not maudlin nor overly a medical textbook which is why it touches the soul as it does. It is easy to emphasize with this young married couple given how they opened their relationship to us. This novel is both difficult yet simple to read. You wonder why cancer strikes at such a young age. Kalanithi throws teaching into the novel when he tells us how the cancer had the opportunity to get so far advanced when both he and his primary care physician glossed over his initial symptoms. It is difficult to say that I enjoyed this novel but at minimum, I experienced this book and cried when Dr. Paul Kalanithi passed away, leaving his wife, infant daughter and a multitude of friends and patients to celebrate his life. It is most definitely a book that I would recommend to a friend. 4.3****
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews