• Connect with the heart of medicine through the front cover of "Being Mortal," featuring a clean, tan background with a single green leaf elegantly separating the title from the author's name. The screen displays the subtitle "Medicine and What Matters in the End" in striking red text, topped with a "#1 New York Times Bestseller" banner. This Fehmerling Books selection includes a poignant endorsement from Oliver Sacks, calling it "wise and deeply moving".
  • Dive into a transformative exploration of aging and medicine with the back cover of "Being Mortal". The screen displays a rich list of honors, including its status as a "New York Times Bestseller" for over a year, alongside praise from Malcolm Gladwell and The Boston Globe. This Fehmerling Books paperback is a premier resource for those navigating the doctor-patient relationship and end-of-life care.
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Atul Gawande | Health & Wellness

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

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A practicing surgeon confronts the tragic limitations of modern medicine, revealing how standard end-of-life care often sacrifices human dignity in a futile effort to prolong survival.

In this landmark medical narrative, practicing surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande examines how modern healthcare frequently fails the elderly and terminally ill. Blending personal family experiences with clinical case studies, Gawande demonstrates that standard hospital interventions prioritize biological extension over quality of life, often confining dying patients to sterile ICUs isolated from the people and routines they cherish.

Advocating for hospice care, assisted living innovation, and honest conversations about mortality, Gawande provides an empathetic roadmap for navigating aging and terminal illness with grace, autonomy, and emotional purpose.

Why You’ll Love This Book

Dr. Atul Gawande delivers compassionate medical journalism, philosophical depth, and vital end-of-life guidance. An essential paperback for families, caregivers, and medical professionals.

Edition & Specifications

Publisher: Picador

Pages: 287

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 2017

ISBN: 9781250076229

Condition Note:

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  • 📸 True-to-Life Photos: For all vintage and pre-loved books, the photos on the page are of the exact physical copy on our shelf. Brand-new books feature official publisher cover art.
  • New: Direct from the publisher; immaculate, unread condition.
  • Like New: Pristine condition with minimal to no shelf wear; looks unread.
  • Very Good: Lightly read with minor shelf wear or light cover creasing. Pages are clean, crisp, and unmarked with a tight binding. (Our baseline standard for pre-loved books.)
  • Good: A well-loved reading copy with visible shelf wear or page aging, but fully intact and structurally sound.

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