Gratitude
A deeply moving testimony and celebration of how to embrace life. No writer has succeeded in capturing the medical and human drama of illness as honestly and as eloquently as Oliver Sacks. During the last few months of his life, he wrote a set of essays in which he movingly explored his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death.
“A series of heart-rending yet ultimately uplifting essays….A lasting gift to readers." —The Washington Post
“It is the fate of every human being,” Sacks writes, “to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.” Together, these four essays form an ode to the uniqueness of each human being and to gratitude for the gift of life.
“My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”
—Oliver Sacks
“Oliver Sacks was like no other clinician, or writer. He was drawn to the homes of the sick, the institutions of the most frail and disabled, the company of the unusual and the ‘abnormal.’ He wanted to see humanity in its many variants and to do so in his own, almost anachronistic way—face to face, over time, away from our burgeoning apparatus of computers and algorithms. And, through his writing, he showed us what he saw.”
—Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal
“A series of heart-rending yet ultimately uplifting essays….A lasting gift to readers." —The Washington Post
“It is the fate of every human being,” Sacks writes, “to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.” Together, these four essays form an ode to the uniqueness of each human being and to gratitude for the gift of life.
“My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”
—Oliver Sacks
“Oliver Sacks was like no other clinician, or writer. He was drawn to the homes of the sick, the institutions of the most frail and disabled, the company of the unusual and the ‘abnormal.’ He wanted to see humanity in its many variants and to do so in his own, almost anachronistic way—face to face, over time, away from our burgeoning apparatus of computers and algorithms. And, through his writing, he showed us what he saw.”
—Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal
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Community Reviews
A thoughtful friend recommended I read this book because my mom died recently. It not only gave me some peace but made me reflect on current close relationships, especially those I feel I’ve overlooked these last couple of weeks. Understanding that what we are given is out of our control that we may embrace the things that give us joy can be hard when life feels overwhelming. I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent with my mom and those around me I can peacefully have my sabbath with.
This collection of 4 essays written by Sacks late in his life are a testimony to a life well lived and an intellect well used. They are more reflective and less narrative than his earlier works, but thought provoking in their own way.
I've had this audiobook on my ipod for some time and decided that I would listen on my commute into work. It's hard to commute when there are tears in your eyes and an ache in your chest.
The audiobook is about 40 minutes long and covers four of Sacks' essays about his mortality. After he was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized to his liver he began writing these essays.
Mercury is the first one and it's his reflection on turning 80. My Own Life is after learning he has cancer and his time is short.
Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.
My Periodic Table is next and he contemplates turning 82 with knowing he will not see another birthday.
Auden used to say that one should always celebrate one’s birthday, no matter how one felt
Lastly is Sabbath and that is my favorite. He writes of growing up in England in an Orthodox Jewish community. How everyone stops working on the Sabbath and appreciates the people around them. He writes of turning away from the faith when his mother calls him an abomination for being gay. It was a moving piece.
“my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers.”
― Oliver Sacks, Gratitude
The audiobook is about 40 minutes long and covers four of Sacks' essays about his mortality. After he was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized to his liver he began writing these essays.
Mercury is the first one and it's his reflection on turning 80. My Own Life is after learning he has cancer and his time is short.
Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.
My Periodic Table is next and he contemplates turning 82 with knowing he will not see another birthday.
Auden used to say that one should always celebrate one’s birthday, no matter how one felt
Lastly is Sabbath and that is my favorite. He writes of growing up in England in an Orthodox Jewish community. How everyone stops working on the Sabbath and appreciates the people around them. He writes of turning away from the faith when his mother calls him an abomination for being gay. It was a moving piece.
“my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers.”
― Oliver Sacks, Gratitude
This is Oliver Sack's goodbye essay and is extremely short - it was originally run in the New York Times, and can be read in under an hour.
The subject of the essay is accepting death, which I'm not sure Sacks actually did. He tries to determine what is essential in the end.
He also discusses the exciting upcoming breakthroughs in science which he is sad he will miss.
I am rubidium-- 37.
The subject of the essay is accepting death, which I'm not sure Sacks actually did. He tries to determine what is essential in the end.
He also discusses the exciting upcoming breakthroughs in science which he is sad he will miss.
I am rubidium-- 37.
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