Being Mortal - Atul Gawande
For anyone who has read the blogs about books I have enjoyed you will know that I rarely seem to report on a bad one which lead me to believe I like everything I read, much to the annoyance of my wife, but this book is truly profound and extraordinary and has actually changed the way I practice dentistry. I cannot give it any greater praise than that.
Bear in mind that this is a book that I have discussed with my wife whose business is to look after children who are seriously and often terminally ill; a person who encounters with huge inner strength and dignity these difficulties in her day to day work and I have watched this for the past twenty years.
Gawande's book is a hugely moving, inspiring list of revelations which changes the way you interact with people if you care to listen to the message clearly. In essence the book is about dying and how we die, it is about caring for our elderly population, it's about dignity, choices and what matters most in the end. It is told through the eyes of a highly respected surgeon who has changed his philosophy and approach to people who are seriously ill as a result of his observations of his own career and family history.
The way he recounts the terminal illness of his father and the eventual loss is indeed profound and would touch anyone who read the book. More important that this to me personally though was the way it has impacted on how I talk to my patients, how I discuss options, how I search for their fears, their wishes, their dreams and discuss openly and honestly with them the possibilities we can provide and the downsides and dangers of undertaking any treatment at all.
This is essential reading for anyone in healthcare and should be given out to all undergraduates in dentistry and medicine as a standard textbook.
Get the book now, I dare you to read it! If you're scared or lethargic then sign up to the blog and message me and I will buy it for you.
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