Themes

• Limitations of modern medicine in end-of-life care

• Importance of quality of life over longevity

• Challenges of aging and loss of independence

• Need for better models of elder care and assisted living

• Value of hospice and palliative care approaches

• Importance of having difficult conversations about mortality

• Preserving dignity and autonomy at the end of life

Setting

Being Mortal is set against the backdrop of modern medicine in the United States, focusing on the challenges faced by an aging population in the early 21st century. Gawande explores various healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice facilities, to illustrate the current state of end-of-life care.

The book delves into specific locations, such as Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Gawande works as a surgeon. He also visits innovative care facilities like NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts, and the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, California, to showcase alternative approaches to elder care and end-of-life support.

While the primary focus is on the American healthcare system, Gawande occasionally draws comparisons with practices in other countries, such as India, where he has familial roots. This broader perspective helps to highlight the cultural and societal differences in approaching aging and death, providing a more comprehensive view of the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and patients worldwide.

Key Figures

• Atul Gawande: The author and narrator of Being Mortal. Gawande is a practicing surgeon who explores the challenges of aging, end-of-life care, and mortality through his experiences and research. He advocates for a shift in medical focus from mere survival to quality of life and well-being. Gawande's personal reflections and encounters with patients form the core of the book's narrative.

• Keren Brown Wilson: A geriatric doctor mentioned in the book. Wilson is credited as an originator of the assisted living concept, which aims to provide a more dignified and independent living arrangement for the elderly.

• Gawande's patients: Various unnamed individuals whose stories and experiences with aging, illness, and end-of-life care are shared throughout the book. These accounts provide real-world examples of the challenges and dilemmas faced by the elderly and their families.

• Gawande's relatives: Family members of the author whose experiences with aging and illness are discussed in the book. Their stories offer a personal dimension to the broader issues explored in Being Mortal.

Quick facts

• The book spent over 85 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list

• It has been translated into over 30 languages worldwide

• Gawande wrote much of the book while his father was battling terminal cancer

• The book was inspired by Gawande's experiences as a surgeon and seeing how medicine often fails the elderly and dying

• It took Gawande four years to research and write the book

• The book has sold over 1 million copies globally

• Gawande interviewed over 200 patients, doctors, and family members while writing it

• The PBS Frontline documentary based on the book was nominated for an Emmy Award

• Being Mortal was Gawande's fourth book, following his previous bestsellers

• The book sparked national conversations about end-of-life care when it was published in 2014

About the Author

Atul Gawande is a renowned American surgeon, writer, and public health researcher. With a diverse career spanning clinical practice, academia, and public service, Gawande has made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and healthcare policy. He practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and holds professorships at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

As an author, Gawande has penned several bestselling books, including Complications, Better, The Checklist Manifesto, and Being Mortal. His writing, which often explores the complexities and challenges of modern medicine, has earned him critical acclaim and a wide readership. Gawande's work as a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1998 has further solidified his reputation as a thoughtful commentator on healthcare issues.

In addition to his clinical and literary pursuits, Gawande has been actively involved in public health initiatives. He served as the chairman of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and Lifebox, a nonprofit focused on reducing surgical deaths globally. His efforts in these roles demonstrate his commitment to improving healthcare outcomes on a global scale. In 2018, Gawande briefly served as CEO of Haven, a healthcare venture backed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan Chase.

Gawande's expertise and influence have been recognized through numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship and his inclusion in lists of the world's most influential thinkers. In recent years, his public service has extended to government roles, serving on President Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board and as the Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. Throughout his multifaceted career, Gawande has consistently worked to address critical issues in healthcare delivery and policy.