The Measure of Our Days

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Why does the knowledge of having a life-threatening illness ennoble some people, yet defeat others? How can we apply to our own lives the lessons learned during this extraordinary time? In The Measure of Our Days, Jerome Groopman, an eminent physician, explores these central human questions through portraits of eight patients who have gazed into the face of death. The unforgettable individuals we meet here include Kirk, an aggressive venture capitalist who refuses to accept his fate and insists on the mega-gamble of risky kidney cancer treatments; Elizabeth, an imperious dowager with a rare blood disease, who is humbled by the fear of becoming helpless; Alex, an accomplished but emotionally unfulfilled architect, who begs for help in dying at the first icy touch of AIDS; and Elliott, who, in his triumph over leukemia, finally creates for himself a definition of success. Through the eyes of a generous and compassionate physician, each individual's experience is transformed from a medical case study into a spiritual journey of questioning and self-awareness.