Oliver sacks north american medicine, being mortal reminds us, has prepared itself for life but not for death. Gawande, 48, is a macarthur fellowship genius award winner, a. The surgeon in the story is the father of atul gawande, who is also a surgeon as well as a writer for the new yorker. How medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending. The waning days of our lives are given over to treatments that addle our brains and sap our bodies for a slivers chance of benefit. Gawande presents readers with his own experiences observing people in endoflife.
Being mortal, medicine and what matters in the end. What a companywide book club could do for health care systems. Cosponsored by hospice of homer, the month before hospice and the library lent out copies of gawandes book. Anyone who has faced or contemplated this challenge will find atul gawandes latest book, being mortal, medicine and what matters in the end, compelling and thoughtprovoking. Considering the cost, in money, time and resources, and the ever expanding field of research, should medical schools expand the curriculum to include endoflife issues. Discussion questions for being mortal by dr atul gawande 1. Join us for a fun, informal book discussion of being mortal by atul gawande. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. How do your familys lifespan stories compare to those in the book. Feb 15, 2017 hwpc book club new book recommendationselection process gentle readers, thank you for your participationreading and discussion of being mortalin janfeb as part of the hwpc book club inaugural meeting cycle. An iconic jazz club in chelsea has defended its decision. Modern medicine can perform miracles, but it is also only concerned with preserving life rather than dealing with endoflife issues.
Medicine and what matters in the end kindle edition by gawande, atul. Being mortal is not only wise and deeply moving, it is an essential and insightful book for our times, as one would expect from atul gawande, one of our finest physician writers. In the first chapter, gawande introduces us to his wifes grandmother, alice hobson, age seventyseven when he first met her in 1985. Book summary in being mortal, bestselling author atul gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession. A prominent surgeon and journalist takes a cleareyed look at aging and death in 21stcentury america.
What happens in the penultimate period, whether its weeks or months, is the topic of atul gawandes very timely. Topics include current affairs, modern culture, the environment, philosophy, social justice, religion and race. Anyone who has faced or contemplated this challenge will find atul gawandes latest book, being mortal. February 10, 2020 march 19, 2020 bears for justice. Book discussion questions being mortal by atul gawande. The author points out that a medical students education has not traditionally included. December 10, 2015 doingdewey uncategorized 11 so far, this book has included more stories and less science than i expected, but ive still been enjoying it and feel as though im learning a lot. This highly acclaimed book brings readers to a heightened understanding of the complexities of aging and dying and the equal struggle. Las vegas nonfiction book club discussion questions blog at. Join with doctors book club as we read atul gawandes book being mortal. From those confronting their own mortality or that of a loved one to medical professionals guiding patients through their final days, readers of all backgrounds have connected with gawandes insights on death and dignity. Being mortal is not an easy read, but it is an important one.
Full of eyeopening 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. This 6week discussion group is based on atul gawandes book being mortal. What is the significance of the title of this book. What is important to us as we age understanding our choices medical and otherwise. Medicine and what matters in the end join us for a new season of thoughtful, candid and lively discussion of both fiction and nonfiction. Hwpc book club new book recommendationselection process gentle readers, thank you for your participationreading and discussion of being mortalin janfeb as part of the hwpc book club inaugural meeting cycle. This book adds greatly to the conversation of aging, death, and quality of life issues. Ive always loved atul gawandes writingwith his compassion and common sense, hes the kind of doctor you pray to get at the hospitaland in being mortal. Being mortal book club questions from the stage to the. I encourage church leadership to become familiar with these universal topics, then equip the discussion with biblical insight, compassion and the confidence of our hope in the lord. Ive always loved atul gawandes writingwith his compassion and. His latest book, written with his customary warmth and panache, is a plea to.
Here are some questions i thought of although i think that the discussion could be lively with just the opening question of what did you think. Discussion questions for being mortal by dr atul gawande. Gavin franciss adventures in human being, his book about medicine and the body, is out next may. Oct 07, 2014 being mortal medicine and what matters in the end many of the case studies and personal experiences that surgeon and writer atul gawande depicts in his new book being mortal resonated with my own recent history of the deaths of my family members. Being mortal medicine and what matters in the end book club kit. A cloth bag containing 10 copies of the title and a folder with miscellaneous notes, discussion questions, biographical information, and reading lists to assist book group discussion leaders.
Being mortal is a best book club book for discussion, an examination of the role of medicine in aging and death, told through research and stories of patients and family. Medicine and what matters in the end he tackles a very tough subject. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25. Reading guide for being mortal by atul gawande discussion guide for book clubs. Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming the dangers of childbirth, injury, and disease from harrowing to manageable. Discuss the oftenpoliticized endoflife questions raised in the closing chapters of being mortal. Atul gawande wants to guide a new kind of care at lifes end and has come up with five questions we all should ask. Being mortal book club questions from the stage to the cinema. I learned a lot of things in medical school, but mortality wasnt one of them. Being mortal is a best book club book for discussion, an examination of the role of medicine in aging and death, told through research and stories of patients and. It does not bog itself down in technical medical jargon but is written for the average person. In our society, we generally consider discussions of mortality to be depressing.
Discussions focus on various aspects of aging and dying, including. Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infect. Oliver sacks american medicine, being mortal reminds us, has prepared itself for life but not for death. Both the show and the book add to a growing national. Illness, medicine and what matters in the end by atul gawande includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an indepth exploration of the book s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as mortality and risktaking. Jim wes is adult ministries lay coordinator at the evangelical free church of diamond bar calif. Doctorsbookclub is a book club for doctors an outof hospital. Medicine and what matters in the end by atul gawande, m. How has reading being mortal changed those feelings for you. If, like me, you are a veteran of several book clubs, you will know two things.
Book discussion questions being mortal by atul gawande introduction. Check out the storify, very rich with resources and links. Balancing the power and options of modern medical treatment with quality of life is becoming increasingly challenging. Brian bethune i learned about a lot of things in medical school, writes atul gawande in his new book being mortal, but mortality wasnt one of them. Check out the storify, very rich with resources and. How could such training change our experience with regards to end of life issues. Does anyone have book club questions for this book. In the years since it was first published, being mortal has become a cultural touchstone that has profoundly altered the way we think about end of life care. From those confronting their own mortality or that of a loved one to medical.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading being mortal. The recipient of numerous awards and widespread acclaim, atul gawandes being mortal has secured a position among the bestselling medical books of all time. Being mortal stimulates community discussion on dying. Reading guide for being mortal by atul gawande bookbrowse. Being mortal illness, medicine and what matters in the end paperback 2015. Being mortal reading group choices book club recommendations. It is not a selfhelp book but i imagine it will be therapeutic and helpful to most readers.
Several even have larger corporate discussion programs. Skloots point of view came across as having low stakes and was generally uninteresting. In being mortal, bestselling author atul gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession. Nov 09, 2014 the surgeon in the story is the father of atul gawande, who is also a surgeon as well as a writer for the new yorker. Las vegas nonfiction book club discussion questions.
Im pleased that at least most of you seem to have found the book to be worthwhile. The best books to discuss are the ones that provoke heated. Medicine and what matters in the end, atul gawande explores how to bring meaning and purpose to the last phase of life. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of being mortal. In february, a selection of book groups won copies of being mortal. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Discussion questions being mortal, by atul gawande 1. Martha i too am leading a book discussion on this next week. Being mortal, the most personal book he has written, ends with the long dying of his own father. Being mortal, atul gawandes latest medical book, tackles the difficult task of talking about topics of mortality and death.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sometimes the right book comes your way at exactly the right time. This book is about aging with autonomy and dying with dignity. I learned a lot of things in medical school, but mortality wasnt one of. His latest book, written with his customary warmth and panache, is a plea to the medical profession and the rest of us to. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
On july 14 at 9pm eastern and july 15 at 8pm gmt 3pm eastern, nephjc discussed atul gawandes being mortal. He divides his book into eight beautifully written chapters that follow the trajectory from independence to death. The author points out that a medical students education has not traditionally included training on helping a patient cope with grief. Medicine and what matters in the end by atul gawande and were asked to answer some questions about the book. February 10, 2020 march 19, 2020 bears for justice the tale of the dueling neurosurgeons. I finished the book with the belief that this pointofview writing was a poor technique for nonfiction. What happens in the penultimate period, whether its weeks or months, is the topic of atul gawandes very timely and useful new book being mortal. Illness, medicine and what matters in the end by atul gawande includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an indepth exploration of the books multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as mortality and risktaking. Being mortal book club kit lawrence public library. Gawande uses it to dramatic effect in being mortal. Being mortal begins with an overview of aging in our culture and abroad. Oliver sacks being mortal is not only wise and deeply moving, it is an essential and insightful book for our times, as one would expect from atul gawande, one of our finest physician writers. Medicine and what matters in the end, please sign up.
Being mortal illness, medicine and what matters in the end. We resist the notion, we defy it, and eventually we succumb. His new book, being mortal, is a personal meditation on how we can. Being mortal has been praised as a book that inspires sharing and discussion. Oct 06, 2014 sometimes the right book comes your way at exactly the right time. The history of the human brain as revealed by true stories of.
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