When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2016). I finished this book a few days ago but I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have the time to write a few lines about this fabulous book. This book is about life and death. It is about how to learn to enjoy life even when you know you will not be alive for too long.
Dr. Kalanithi was living a life of personal and professional success when he realised he was in an advanced stage of cancer. He tried to fight back, but the illness ended up taking his life at the end.
I don’t remember how the title of the book comes about but basically the meaning is from the change that happens in the body after dying: the same air that keeps us alive by breathing it, becomes just air when there is no life to support.
I won’t lie, this is a sad book but it’s beautifully written and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Dr. Kalanithi was a scholar, a well educated person and proficient in english literature. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year.