Being Mortal

For most of human history death was a common ever-present possibility. It didnt matter whether you were five or fifty – every day was a roll of the dice. But now as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality – about what its like to get old and die how medicine has changed this and how it hasnt where our ideas about death have gone wrong. With his trademark mix of perceptiveness and sensitivity Atul Gawande outlines a story that crosses the globe as he examines his experiences as a surgeon and those of his patients and family and learns to accept the limits of what he can do. Never before has aging been such an important topic. The systems that we have put in place to manage our mortality are manifestly failing; but as Gawande reveals it doesnt have to be this way. The ultimate goal after all is not a good death but a good life – all the way to the very end. Published in partnership with the Wellcome Collection. WELLCOME COLLECTION Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library that aims to challenge how we think and feel about health. Inspired by the medical objects and curiosities collected by Henry Wellcome it connects science medicine life and art. Wellcome Collection exhibitions events and books explore a diverse range of subjects including consciousness forensic medicine emotions sexology identity and death. Wellcome Collection is part of Wellcome a global charitable foundation that exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive funding over 14000 researchers and projects in more than 70 countries. wellcomecollection.org