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Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

"Our reverence for independence takes no account of the reality of what happens in life: sooner or later, independence will become impossible.  Serious illness or infirmity will strike.  It is as inevitable as sunset."
In his book, Being Mortal, surgeon Atul Gawande gives us a look at what it's like to age to the point of death in America.  Nursing homes, assisted living, and other ways that we care for our elderly are all examined.  And one question keeps popping up...do we really put the best interest of the individual first or are we more concerned with them living just to live?  Where do we draw the line from living life to enjoy it and living a careful life because they are old and frail?
This book was both insightful and thought provoking.  Beautifully written and it'll lead you to wonder about the end of this crazy ride we call life.  It was at times emotionally difficult to read.  We often don't want to think about old age and dying, especially if we are still in the mid to early years of our lives.  We don't want to think of our parents or grandparents aging.  But the harsh truth is that they will.  They are.  We all are.  And at some point we will have to make decisions we don't want to.  And most likely none of us will be ready.  But as with all things in life, educating yourself is key.  Wonderful book.  I highly recommend it to all readers.

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