Usually, I like to do my research thoroughly, prior to buying/ reading a book, for I like to spend the little time I have for"What Is It Like To Die?"
Usually, I like to do my research thoroughly, prior to buying/ reading a book, for I like to spend the little time I have for reading as effectively as possible. However, when I saw Life After Life in a bookshelf, the title was sufficient enough to make me grab a copy immediately. I'm really glad I did so.
"All the great religions of man have many truths to tell us." "There was more we needed to know about life that I hadn't ever thought about."
As the author himself quite eloquently express during introductory chapter, the subject of Death is not the most popular subject one out there, and it's understandable why most would stay away for a myriad of reasons. But this is not a book on death. Rather, it's a book to change one's views and opinions on death and what comes after.
"Human language is inadequate to express the ultimate realities directly."
I knew I would love this book right from the start, for the author had this amazing way of presenting everything using a lot of facts (as much as possible) without any conjecture. This allows readers of diverse religious/ cultural beliefs to understand the contents without feeling any discomforts. Though the book might not present a large amount of research matter, or complex theories, the examples selected by Dr. Moody are well capable of driving home the key takeaways.
"The being seems to stress the importance of two things in life: Learning to love other people and acquiring knowledge."
If you ever get a change to read this book, don't miss the opportunity. Whatever your present view of Life and Death is, Life After Life will give you a lot to think about and might be able to change your life profoundly. At the risk of repeating myself - which I do each time I read a great non-fiction book - I will say, everybody should read this book, at least once.
"No matter how old you are, don't stop learning. For this is a process, I gather, that goes on for eternity."...more
"Death comes for all of us. For us, for our patients: it is our fate as living, breathing, metabolizing organisms."
Though 'When Breath Becomes Air' ha"Death comes for all of us. For us, for our patients: it is our fate as living, breathing, metabolizing organisms."
Though 'When Breath Becomes Air' had been on my shelf for a while now, I've been going back and forth, unable to decide whether I should read this, as I was somewhat fearful of the impact this memoir might have on me. One must always brace himself/ herself when reading a book like this, for, you dive in knowing well about the inevitable heartbreaking ending. But, now that I'm finished, the only thing I regret is not reading the book sooner. Dr. Paul Kalanithi's insightful, beautiful and emotional memoir is something that everyone must read.
"What makes life meaningful enough to go on living?"
The first half of the story is not what I had expected at all. Dr. Kalanithi starts from his childhood, little briefing about the family background and the turning points which directed him towards becoming a doctor, followed by the years in medical school. But what he focuses on most during the first half of the book is, the difficulties faced by a Resident, prior to graduation. The exhausting journey a Resident has to make is explained in a very captivating manner, allowing the reader to empathize with all medical professionals. This part of the book has been an eye-opener for me, for, never had I imagined it to be this much demanding. But it's not only that. He also goes on to describing moral/ ethical dilemmas one had to face, and the different ways each person deals with critical situations.
"At those critical junctures, the question is not simply whether to live or die but what kind of life is worth living."
With the starting of second half, Dr. Kalanithi moves on to challenges he had to encounter after his diagnosis. The personal experiences are sometime quite overwhelming, navigating through an alternating curve where we continuously switch between hope and despair. Even with knowing the ending, it's difficult not to become hopeful that everything might get better and then stay that way. In my opinion, this latter half of the book is therapeutic for any reader, because, if one had already experienced a similar situation, they'll be able to relate and ease their pain at least a little, while others will understand the anguish and pain suffered by the patients and their families. The way you view people - not just the terminal patients, but any hardships faced by fellow human beings - will change profoundly.
"I feared I was on the way to becoming Tolstoy's stereotype of a doctor, preoccupied with empty formalism, focused on the rote treatment of disease - and utterly missing the larger human significance."
Another thing that is going to surprise the readers is the beautiful use of language where Dr. Kalanithi's skills in literature and language really shines through. The narrative is not something one would expect from a doctor. Two main chapters are followed by the epilogue by Lucy Kalanithi, which is even more heartbreaking. But it is commendable how well she completes memoir, and delivering us this remarkable book. Reading preferences notwithstanding, I urge every reader to go through this book, at least once. It won't take you more than a couple of hours, but this book will profoundly change the way you see the world. Thank you, Dr. Paul Kalanithi, for your last, but most exceptional contribution to posterity.
"Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproductible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most central aspects of human life: hope, fear, love, hate, beauty, envy, honor, weakness, striving, suffering, virtue."
"what looks inevitable in hindsight was far from obvious at the time."
"Presumably, everyone reading this book is a Homo sapiens - the species sapiens "what looks inevitable in hindsight was far from obvious at the time."
"Presumably, everyone reading this book is a Homo sapiens - the species sapiens (wise) of the genus Homo (man)."
We 'sapiens' have diverse tastes when it comes to everything, so same goes for reading, and there are oh-so many options: many sub-genre's of fiction and non-fiction. We usually pick the one we enjoy the most - and that's fiction most of the time - and stick with it for good. But every now and then, there is that book - which isn't fiction - but it feels better than fiction. And then among those select few, there is that book, once read, one cannot help but recommend to others regardless of their favorite genre. Sapiens is one of those exceptional books. This book, I belive, is an excellent read, irrespective of what your usual favorite genre is.
"As far as we know, only Sapiens can talk about entire kinds of entities that they have never seen, touched or smelled."
This is kind of a history book, but it isn't the typical history book, intended to a niche of readers. The way the author narrates is quite fascinating, and unlike in the typcial non-fiction book, gives the reader the craving to finish it in one go. And the way everything's organized is well thought out the the flow is perfect. Once started, though the book is somewhat long, you will not feel tempted to skip over any parts of it.
"You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven."
We start off with a brief introduction to how everything in the universe came to be around 13.5 billion years ago, and quickly navigate to around 70,000 years from present, where things escallate. Then comes the Cognitive Revolution, then through agricultural revolution to modern era.
"historical record makes Homo sapiens look like an ecological serial killer." "We did not domesticate wheat. It domesticated us."
The way how the social structures and various religions evolved was described in a very unique way. Typcially, we'd expect the author to explain along a particular school of thought, and explain reasons for accepting it to be the most reasonable way to look at things. But here, things are quite different. We are provided with different, and often contradicting, views on certain major historical aspect, while allowing us form our own opinions, which is kind of fun. And the subtle humor you encounter everywhere complements the flow nicely.
" A wealthy man in ancien Egypy would never have dreamed of solving a relationship crisis by taking his wife on holiday to Babylon. Instead, he might have built for her the sumptuous tomb she had always wanted."
But I guess this book is not for the history experts, for they might find things to be too simple. A connosiur of history might find the contents boring. However, for all others, this book has the ability to shift the way you look at the world quite profoundly.
" 'Cooperation' sounds very altruistic, but is not always voluntary and seldom egalitarian."
You can't afford to miss reading this book. You shouldn't miss reading this book. You must read this book. This just became one of my all time favorites. DO GIVE THIS ONE A CHANCE...
"A person who does not crave cannot suffer."...more
In 'A Briefer History of Time,' the authors have been successful in making good on their promise to deli"WE LIVE IN A STRANGE AND wonderful universe."
In 'A Briefer History of Time,' the authors have been successful in making good on their promise to deliver a simplified version of original book, to provide the general reader with some understanding of the universe.
In this well laid out book, reader is guided through the major scientific theories that are in existence today. Relativity, Curved Space, and Quantum Gravity are given much weight and the strengths and weaknesses of each are presented with very clear examples.
Though a longtime student of physics might find the content to be simple, it is certainly the excellent for the non-scientist, who I believe are the intended audience of this book.
"A complete, consistent, unified theory is the only first step: out goal is a complete understanding of the events around us, and of our own existence."...more
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