What would you do if you had a terminal illness? How would you face death? These are the questions Paul Kalanithi grapples with in his memoir, “When Breath Becomes Air”.

Talented, kind, intelligent and funny, Paul was always destined for success. The reader follows him on his journey from a precocious and angsty teen to a thoughtful man asking some of life’s biggest questions. He brings seemingly diametrically opposed fields such as philosophy and literature together with science, medicine, and neurosurgery. Although it is the relationship between mind, body, and self that makes up a person’s personality, it is up to the individual to define exactly what that means. Are you still “you” if you cannot speak or write? Or do simple sums or use your hands?

With grace and wit, Paul tackles these questions head on. Life and death are never simple topics, yet he writes with such passion and humility that the readers may dare to see the same beauty in these abstracts as he did. A truly unforgettable story, Paul’s legacy is immortalized with the people he loves and his shared wisdom that lives on.