I started this book with a little trepidation. Another medical book - mainly about aging and death. This was not going to be a bundle of laughs. However, the surprising thing about the book is that despite, but maybe because of, the grim topic, it is a very uplifting book.
The quality of writing is superb. His words flow easily and everything he has to say is couched in stories - real stories about real patients, fiends and relatives. Reading the book was, on a certain level, quite taxing. The nature of the content meant that I really wanted to read in modest chunks, with time between them to reflect and absorb. The reality was that I often found the book quite gripping and I did not want to put it down.
By the end of the book, I felt that I had a completely new understanding of what it is to be coming to the end of one’s life; it is all about choices and priorities. My eyes were opened to aspects of life that I had previously not wanted to even think about. I am very glad that I read the book and would recommend it to anyone who might work with older people or just want to ponder how their own future might pan out.
It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. My inclination is to simply purchase the author’s other 3 books and plough on through them.
The quality of writing is superb. His words flow easily and everything he has to say is couched in stories - real stories about real patients, fiends and relatives. Reading the book was, on a certain level, quite taxing. The nature of the content meant that I really wanted to read in modest chunks, with time between them to reflect and absorb. The reality was that I often found the book quite gripping and I did not want to put it down.
By the end of the book, I felt that I had a completely new understanding of what it is to be coming to the end of one’s life; it is all about choices and priorities. My eyes were opened to aspects of life that I had previously not wanted to even think about. I am very glad that I read the book and would recommend it to anyone who might work with older people or just want to ponder how their own future might pan out.
It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. My inclination is to simply purchase the author’s other 3 books and plough on through them.
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