RaveThe Wall Street JournalDr. Gawande’s book is not of the kind that some doctors write, reminding us how grim the fact of death can be. Rather, Dr. Gawande shows how patients in the terminal phase of their illness can maintain important qualities of life with medico-surgical assistance. Being Mortal doesn’t gloss over what awaits us all, but it fixes our attention on the ways in which a patient’s wishes might be fulfilled—such as the wish for a peaceful, clear-headed valediction among loved ones. As Dr. Gawande chronicles, this effort requires thought and determination on the part of the doctor, the patient and members of the family ... By making a forceful case for palliative care and hospice services—with their capacity to sustain life’s quality out to the end—Being Mortal provides a response to the presumptions of despair that fuel the euthanasia movement.
