Gratitude by Oliver Sacks (2015, Knopf; 64 pages) During the last few months of his live, Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote a set of essays in which he movingly explored his feelings about the medical and human drama of illness, about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death. “It is the fate of every human being," he wrote, “to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.” Gratitude is a book composed of four essays that form an ode to the uniqueness of each human being and to gratitude for the gift of life. The essays were written in the last two years of the author's life, when he was facing aging, illness and death. It is remarkable in its grace and clarity. Each one of the essays is pure gold. I especially enjoyed the final piece in the book, titled, “Sabbath,” which ends like this: “ And now, weak, short of breath, my once firm muscles melted away by cancer, I find my thoughts (…) drifting to the Sabbath, the day of rest, the seventh day of the week, and perhaps the seventh day of one's life as well, when one can feel that one's work is done, and one may, in good conscience, rest.” A must read, an absolutely piece of gold. Find this title in our catalog: Gratitude Recommended by: Maite
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