Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End (Paperback)

'An impassioned, broad-ranging and deeply personal exploration' - The Guardian 

'Medicine, Being Mortal reminds us, has prepared itself for life but not for death. This is Atul Gawande's most powerful, and moving, book' - Malcolm Gladwell

'Dr Gawande writes very well, his book Is deeply humane and I learnt much from it' - Theodor Dalrymple, The Times 

'In this eloquent, moving book Atul Gawande ... explains how and why modern medicine has turned the end of life into something so horrible ... Many passages in Being Mortal will bring a lump to the throat, but Dr Gawande also visits places offering a better way to manage life's end' - The Economist 

'We have come to medicalize aging, frailty and death, treating them as if they were just one more medical problem to overcome. It is not just medicine that is needed in one's declining years, but life -a life with meaning, a life as rich and full as possible under the circumstances. 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.' - Oliver Sacks

'It is rare to read a book that sparks so much hard thinking. In my case, it has opened to door to discussions with close relatives about how they wish to spend their final days - conversations that we should surely all be having, however difficult they are to start' - Linda Geddes, The New Scientist 

'Gawande is hoping to change the medical profession, not human nature, and to do so in a way that is important to us all. His book is so impressive that one can believe that it may well contribute to that end... May it be widely read and inwardly digested' - Diana Athill, The Financial Times 

'Atul Gawande's wise and courageous book raises the questions that none of us wants to think about...Gawande's concern and dedication shine from every page... that alliance of human feeling with medical knowledge aptly symbolises this remarkable book' - John Carey, The Sunday Times 

'This humane and beautifully written book is a manifesto that could radically improve the lives of the aged and the terminally ill' - Leyla Sanai, Independent

'It is to his tremendous credit that Gawande has turned his attention to mortality. We need people of such outstanding intelligence and compassion to consider the ever-growing problems associated with our ageing population.' - Cressida Connolly, The Spectator 

'His latest book, written with is customary warmth and panache, is a plea to the medical profession and the rest of us to shift away from simply fighting for longer life towards fighting for the things that make life meaningful' - Geraldine Bedell, The Observer