And Finally by Henry Marsh

Dr. Henry Marsh, in his book And Finally (2023), addresses issues of life and death as he faces the end of his life due to prostate cancer.  Dr. Marsh, a prominent neurosurgeon from London, laments that he did not heed his own advice and take action sooner to treat his cancer because, as a doctor, he thought illness happened to patients not doctors.  Prostate cancer is very treatable if diagnosed early on.  As he begins treatment he begins to notice his status changing; at first he is treated with respect and kindness, but as the treatment goes on he's treated more as a number, a patient.  A loss of power and anonymity makes his struggle even harder to bear. He's aware that as a white European male he has led a very privileged life with a high standard of living but it came at a cost of adding to the destruction of the planet and he wonders what kind of life his grandchildren will have after he is gone.