Being Mortal
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End is a 2014 non-fiction book by American surgeon Atul Gawande. The book addresses end-of-life care, hospice care, and also contains Gawande's reflections and personal stories. He suggests that medical care should focus on well-being rather than survival. Being Mortal has won awards, appeared on lists of best books, and been featured in a documentary.
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Surgeon Atul Gawande argues that medicine focuses so hard on extending life that it often fails the dying. He follows nursing-home reformers, hospice nurses, and his own father through what a better last chapter looks like.
Being Mortal is a nonfiction book that combines Atul Gawande's reflections as a surgeon with case studies of patients and family members. It is reported nonfiction rather than memoir, examining how American medicine handles aging and end-of-life care.
Being Mortal was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and others. It became a national bestseller and influenced policy discussions around end-of-life care.
Being Mortal was written by Atul Gawande, published in 2014 by Doubleday Canada.
Being Mortal is 283 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Being Mortal takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Being Mortal is a standalone novel by Atul Gawande, not part of a series.
Being Mortal is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
