Gratitude

A series of heart-rending yet ultimately uplifting essays. A lasting gift to readers. Unlike other writers who have reported from the front lines of mortality, Sacks did not focus on his illness, his medical ordeal, or spirituality, but on what is meant by living a good and worthwhile life—achieving a sense of peace within oneself. Sacks not only achieved that peace but managed to convey it beautifully in these essays. He found positive ways to think about everything, including his growing frailty. Perhaps, he suggests in the book's final pages, he was in the Sabbath of his life, when one can feel that one's work is done, and one may, in good conscience, rest. His tender book leaves readers with a similar sense of tranquility and, indeed, gratitude.