Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: mark inside

Looking for some quality nonfictional reads at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library? Try one of these five new releases, including two heartwarming animal stories, two perspectives on economics, and one true crime story.

Giant George: Life with the World's Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser
Eclipse: The Horse that Changed Racing History Forever by Nicolas Clee
America's First Great Depression: Economic Crisis and Political Disorder After the Panic of 1837 by Alasdair Roberts
The Clash of Generations: Saving Ourselves, Our Kids, and Our Economy by Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns
The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con by Amy Reading

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

Animals, Economics, and Crime: New nonfiction at MMSCL