Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

“Old age is not a battle. Old age is a massacre.” If you have aged people to take care then you should not miss this book. The author is a Doctor by profession and also a writer. If you are a hypochondriac, I suggest please do not read this book. Doctors are not Gods. But they are simply human beings like you and me who with professional intelligence helps us to wade through old age or for that matter any terminal illness without or with minimal pain. They have limitations and feel shy to say the hard reality because as patients we fail to tell what we finally want from life. They assist in improving our quality of life. Atul Gawande has very frankly with lots of real-life anecdotes described that medical advancement, technology, and skill can only do so much. The ultimate end is inevitable; the aim is to make it peaceful and painless. When you know that your time is short then your life goals or needs change. At that phase, when every day is a bonus, what matters most is family, friends, comfort, and peace. The author explains how we need to give memorable moments to all kith and kin while asking hard questions. This book is beautifully crafted by the author and a must-read for the present while we are facing so many uncertainties due to the pandemic. Ratings 4/5