The Independent Self By Atul Gawande Analysis

This book written by Atul Gawande is a journey through the process of death. The author uses interesting stories to illustrate his points in every /chapter. He takes us through the process of aging, and eventually dying, in a graceful and peaceful way, pointing out several problems in the way that end of life care is done as well as the way we as a society treat our elderly, providing historical and current evidence to support his points. He even draws in a personal connection by discussing the terminal diagnosis of his father.
This book feels like it has the same natural progression of life itself. The first chapter, “The Independent Self” is a lot like childhood. There’s a lot of learning and a lot of hope in this chapter without much fear …show more content…
The fourth chapter discusses assisted living facilities as means of retaining some of the autonomy that is stolen by nursing homes. Chapter five talks about improving the lives of those in nursing homes with the addition of pets and a purpose or “loyalty.” It’s interesting that this was ignored for so long in our society. Gawande reiterates over and over that safety and life are not the only things that matter at the end of your days. He says that a sense of autonomy is just as important, “All we ask is to be allowed to remain the writers of our own story (p …show more content…
This intense connection brings the problem from detached to real and palpable, for both the author and the reader. This chapter titled “Hard conversations” highlights the importance of having the conversations with people about advanced directives and extraordinary measures. His decision to tie in his and his father’s experience with a terminal diagnosis, for me, really makes this book worth the read. Tying in the personal connection allows the reader to experience all the concepts that Gawande discusses throughout the book by allowing us to see his own journey through the process with his