Lessons for the Living Book Summary

In 'Lessons for the Living,' Stan Goldberg shares profound insights gained from his experience as a hospice volunteer. This touching narrative unfolds the stories of patients nearing the end of their lives, revealing their regrets, hopes, and final lessons. Through these intimate encounters, Goldberg explores the essence of what it means to truly live and love. The book challenges readers to reflect on their own lives, urging them to embrace meaningful connections and authenticity. A poignant exploration of mortality, it invites us to reconsider our priorities and what we value most.

By Stan Goldberg

Published: 2009

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Book Review of Lessons for the Living

When Stan Goldberg was diagnosed with cancer, he chose to face his fear by helping others who were already in the process of dying: Stan signed up as a hospice volunteer and spent several years at the bedsides of the terminally ill. In this book, Stan shares the remarkable stories of people he met who were facing the end of life. Their stories shine a light on the human capacity for beauty, insight, forgiveness, and gratitude, as we see how people like us deal with anxiety and sadness with bravery and love. But what's especially remarkable is that the bravery and love aren't as much expressed in grand, dramatic gestures as they are in ordinary acts and small accomplishments: in simple efforts at kindness, in asking for and receiving forgiveness, in the abandonment of anger, and in learning to speak directly from the heart—and to listen in the same way. What Stan ultimately discovers—and shares here—are not lessons in dying, but rather, lessons in learning how to live.

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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Lessons for the Living

By Stan Goldberg