When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer in 2013, at age 36, despite never having smoked. The memoir chronicles his transition from treating patients as a neurosurgery resident at Stanford to becoming a patient himself.

Yes, the memoir was published posthumously in January 2016, nearly a year after Kalanithi died in March 2015. The book's foreword was written by Abraham Verghese, author of 'Cutting for Stone,' and the epilogue was written by Kalanithi's wife, Lucy Kalanithi.

The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Nonfiction Best Sellers list and remained on the list for many weeks. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 2022 as part of its sustained recognition.

Kalanithi was a neurosurgery resident at Stanford University Medical Center, nearing the completion of his grueling residency when he received his cancer diagnosis. He held both an MD from Yale University and master's degrees in English literature and philosophy from Stanford.