Mailbox Monday

Oh, it is so hard to resist the temptation of an ARC. It is even more difficult to turn down a comp copy of a beautiful hardcover edition of a book that I've had my eye on. My determination to read only from my existing stacks of books is going to be severely tested this coming month!

When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi

I first learned about Paul Kalanithi's memoir when I stumbled upon an article by his wife, Lucy (My Marriage Didn't End When I Became a Widow) in The New York Times earlier this month. I was intrigued by their story, so when Kalanithi's book appeared on the shelves at work, I noticed it included a foreword by Abraham Verghese (author of Cutting for Stone), which piqued my interest even further. I hadn't planned to read the book right away, but now that I have my own copy (thanks to working in the book industry!), I may have to ignore my goal to read only from my stacks and spend an afternoon curled up on the couch with this new bestseller. Like Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, I predict this memoir will receive notable attention and become one of the most talked about books in 2016.

Be ready. Be seated. See what courage sounds like. See how brave it is to reveal yourself in this way. But above all, see what it is to still live, to profoundly influence the lives of others after you are gone, by your words. In a world of asynchronous communication, where we are so often buried in our screens, our gaze rooted to the rectangular objects buzzing in our hands, our attention consumed by ephemera, stop and experience this dialogue with my young departed colleague, now ageless and extant in memory. Listen to Paul. In the silences between his words, listen to what you have to say back. Therein lies his message. I got it. I hope you experience it, too. It is a gift. Let me not stand between you and Paul. (Abraham Verghese)

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