When Breath Becomes Air

Archival Summary & Scope

Paul Kalanithi's #1 New York Times Bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Finalist memoir, *When Breath Becomes Air*, has sold over two million copies and been named a Best Book of the Year by *The New York Times Book Review*, NPR, *The Washington Post*, and more. At thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade of neurosurgical training, Kalanithi received a diagnosis of stage IV lung cancer. Overnight, he shifted from a doctor treating the dying to a patient struggling for life. This profoundly moving account chronicles his journey from medical student pondering a meaningful life to a neurosurgeon, and finally, a new father confronting his own mortality. Written as Kalanithi wrestled with terminal illness, this unforgettable memoir offers an exquisite, life-affirming reflection on facing death, the complex relationship between doctor and patient, and what makes life worth living.