Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the EndBeing Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Score Modern
What it's about
Modern medicine has made birth, injury and infection manageable, but surgeon Atul Gawande argues it often fails us at the end of life: nursing homes that put safety ahead of happiness, hospitals that isolate the dying, and treatments that extend suffering long after a cure is possible. Through his patients' stories and his own father's, he shows how we could do better.
Why it's worth reading
It spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists and changed how many doctors and families talk about aging and dying. It's wise, humane and practical.
You'll love it if you liked
When Breath Becomes Air
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Tuesdays with MorrieGood to know
It's moving rather than grim, and many readers say it helped them through a parent's final years. It's good to read before you need it.
By the numbers
- Readers98 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #14 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #18 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #116 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #231 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Practical
More by Atul Gawande
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All 36 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End worth reading?
Yes. It spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists and changed how many doctors and families talk about aging and dying. It ranks #231 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End about?
Modern medicine has made birth, injury and infection manageable, but surgeon Atul Gawande argues it often fails us at the end of life: nursing homes that put safety ahead of happiness, hospitals that isolate the dying, and treatments that extend suffering long after a cure is possible. Through his patients' stories and his own father's, he shows how we could do better.
How long does it take to read Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End?
About 7 hours (297 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End?
If you liked it, try When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee or Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.