Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: This Day in History: the Wreck of the Titanic was discovered; September 1, 1985

Titanic by Beau Riffenburgh

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic began her first and final voyage—and more than 1,500 of its passengers would never again see land. Titanic explores the complete history of this magnificent ship, from its conception as the most luxurious vessel in seafaring history to the tragedy of its sinking and its enduring legacy. Along with stunning photographs, including the original blueprints for the ship, it features firsthand accounts from those who designed, built, and sailed on the Titanic, as well as telegrams sent during the disaster from some who ultimately perished. (Publisher Summary)

We also have on DVD:

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

This Day in History: the Wreck of the Titanic was discovered; September 1, 1985

No comments:

Post a Comment