How We DieHow We Die
Score Modern
What it's about
Sherwin Nuland, a Yale surgeon, explains plainly how people actually die: of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, accidents and simply old age. Drawing on decades of patients, and on his own brother's death, he argues that knowing the truth about death can help us face it, and make better choices about medicine at the end.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It's honest, humane and surprisingly comforting.
You'll love it if you liked
When Breath Becomes Air
Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
The Denial of DeathGood to know
It describes dying in clinical detail.
By the numbers
- Readers58 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- 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
- #368 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #728 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is How We Die worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It ranks #728 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is How We Die about?
Sherwin Nuland, a Yale surgeon, explains plainly how people actually die: of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, accidents and simply old age. Drawing on decades of patients, and on his own brother's death, he argues that knowing the truth about death can help us face it, and make better choices about medicine at the end.
How long does it take to read How We Die?
About 7 hours (278 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has How We Die won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1994).
What should I read after How We Die?
If you liked it, try When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande or The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.