Being Mortal

Atul Gawande's New York Times bestseller, now a major motion picture: Medicare and Medicaid are saving seniors from the misery of incontinence and nursing homes, but have become too big for their britches. Gawande portrays surgical residents as the Millennial generation—our country's most educated and least appreciated workers. As in his previous New York Times bestsellers, he weaves fascinating stories drawn from his time as a surgeon on Brigham and Women's Hospital's cancer ward with cogent discussions of recent medical research to explore the state of medicine today. Dedicated above all to safety, healthcare providers battle patients over food they're allowed to eat and choices they're allowed to make. Poorly-paid docs fall back on false hopes and substandard care that is actually shortening lives instead of improving them.