This was one of those books where the story within will stay with me for a lifetime. 

Before I began reading, I knew who Dr. Paul Kalanithi was, and thus how the book ended. He was a neurosurgeon in training who was diagnosed with lung cancer during his residency; he passed away due to the disease. The book, which was written as he underwent treatment for cancer, details his life as well as his perspective on what it means to live a fulfilling life. 

Even though the book was written when Kalanithi was approaching death, it was filled with so much life. Kalanithi’s life experiences centered around finding fulfillment. At Stanford, he earned degrees in both biology and English literature, believing that both fields provided a window into human experiences and consciousness, and therefore into what it meant to live a meaningful life.   

I aim to pursue a career in medicine, so Kalanithi’s experiences as a doctor really resonated with me. He showed that it was possible to have a deep appreciation for the humanities and science, and what an interdisciplinary life incorporating both subjects could look like. In addition, as someone who ponders & writes about success quite a bit, Kalanithi really embodied what it meant to have a personal vision of success, and what it meant to be unique. What’s most inspiring to me is how Kalanithi chartered his own path. Initially, he pursued a masters in English literature at Stanford, but realized that he didn’t quite fit in an English department. He then pursued a Master of Philosophy in the History of Science and Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Yet Kalanithi realized he had to gain the practical experience necessary to explore what it meant to live a meaningful life, influencing his decision to apply to medical school. 

Kalanithi did not have it all figured out right away. However he was on a mission to discover what forms human identity and worked to find fulfillment in what he was doing. The fact that Kalanithi shifted his actions in pursuit of this goal demonstrates how we are in control of our journey. 

Furthermore, Kalanithi’s view on medicine and what it meant to be a doctor touched me, as well. He believed in preserving other people’s identities, which inspired his work in neurosurgery. The stakes in this field are incredibly high, and with that comes the knowledge that some patients will pass away. Coming to terms with this harrowing fact is an integral part of Kalanithi’s journey. Witnessing this taught me that medicine and humanities intersect in so many ways, and that medicine is more than “fixing” people. Rather, it is about being able to connect with others, seeing them as more than “patients” and being able to give them hope (part of the reason I’m fascinated by research and bioengineering, as the discovery of new cures is crucial toward providing that hope). Humanities and taking the time to learn about people & the human mind can teach us how to build these connections. Identity – our values, passions, and aspirations – defines people. Illness can chip away at our identity, through taking away from our present fulfillment and hopes for the future. Helping people maintain this identity is how doctors can restore hope & to continue. I hope that in my future pursuits of medicine, I can live up to this ideal, too. 

Of course, these were not all of Kalanithi’s important points; I simply described the ones that continued to resonate with me. And, I didn’t even begin to talk about Kalanithi’s poetic, vivid writing… 

I guarantee that there is something in this book that will resonate with you, and highly encourage you to give it a read. 

Read this book? Feel free to leave your comments below!