A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular clarity. Writing isn’t brain surgery, but it’s rare when someone adept at the latter is also so accomplished at the former. Searching for meaning and purpose in his life, Kalanithi pursued a doctorate in literature and had felt certain that he wouldn’t enter the field of medicine, in which his father and other members of his family excelled. “But I couldn’t let go of the question,” he writes, after realizing that his goals “didn’t quite fit in an English department.” “Where did biology, morality, literature and philosophy intersect?” So he decided to set aside his doctoral dissertation and belatedly prepare for medical school, which “would allow me a chance to find answers that are not in books, to find a different sort of sublime, to forge relationships with the suffering, and to keep following the question of what makes human life meaningful, even in the face of death and decay.” The author’s empathy undoubtedly made him an exceptional doctor, and the precision of his prose—as well as the moral purpose underscoring it—suggests that he could have written a good book on any subject he chose. Part of what makes this book so essential is the fact that it was written under a death sentence following the diagnosis that upended his life, just as he was preparing to end his residency and attract offers at the top of his profession. Kalanithi learned he might have 10 years to live or perhaps five. Should he return to neurosurgery (he could and did), or should he write (he also did)? Should he and his wife have a baby? They did, eight months before he died, which was less than two years after the original diagnosis. “The fact of death is unsettling,” he understates. “Yet there is no other way to live.” And nowhere else would you find a friend's alienation described as "kinky brooding" -- an amazing insight into the contradictory impulses of self pity. Pearis, Bill (28 November 2018). "SXSW announces 250 more 2019 artists (Deerhunter, Stealing Sheep, more)". Brooklyn Vegan . Retrieved 11 June 2019.

a b "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. 24 August 2018 . Retrieved 11 June 2019. The excruciating story of a young man on a quest for knowledge and experience, a search that eventually cooked his goose, told with the flair of a seasoned investigative reporter by Outside magazine contributing editor Krakauer (Eiger Dreams, 1990).

Hardy, Tony (17 October 2016). "Curse of Lono Brings Austin to North London". Best New Bands . Retrieved 11 June 2019. Why the book has been treated as a specialty item is a mystery to me, because, at least in terms of laughs per square column inch, it possibly beats even Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Millar, Mark (6 September 2018). "VIDEO PREMIERE: Curse Of Lono – 'Way To Mars' – Watch Now". XS Noize . Retrieved 11 June 2019.

Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. 24 August 2018 . Retrieved 11 June 2019.The Curse of Lono has long been considered a bastard stepchild in Thompson's oeuvre. For some reason, it was only given a small print run in 1983 after which its rarity ensured its cult status and high prices for used copies. Upon Thompson's death in 2005, it was reissued in a deluxe edition sporting even more of collaborator Ralph Steadman's beautifully twisted paintings and illustrations. That edition, too, became a collectible. a b Whitmore, Laura B. (17 August 2018). "Exclusive Premiere: Curse of Lono Share the Story Behind 'As I Fell' ". Parade . Retrieved 11 June 2019. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2021-11-09 13:08:15 Associated-names Steadman, Ralph Boxid IA40281805 Camera USB PTP Class Camera Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier