The Great Escape book club selection for 2018 is “Being
Mortal" by Atul Gawande.
It's
about dealing with the issues that arise at the end of life - where to live,
what to do and what kind of medical care to pursue. Although that may seem a bit dour, the book's
question based strategy: asking people what they want in the long run instead
of telling them what they could have in the short run - is a useful tool. So many Great Escapers are facing, will face
or have faced these questions and we hope that this book will equip us to cope
with the pressures of modern life and medical care.
Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women's and a wonderful
writer. Many of the examples he uses in this book are drawn from events in his
(Indian) family and his wife's (Anglo) family, which illuminates some cultural contrasts
between attitudes toward aging. He also
writes about people and institutions in MA who are providing innovative solutions
for families. Below are the back of book
review quotes from the paperback (the book is available in both hardcover and
paperback.) Time Magazine said: "This
should be mandatory reading for every American."
