Jan. 12, 2009
In Print
Upcoming
Notable Books Series at the Countway Library of Medicine
A Life Worth Living: A Doctor’s Reflections on Illness in a High-tech Era
Thursday, Jan. 29
4:30 p.m.
Speaker:
•Robert Martensen, Director, Office of History and Museum, National
Institutes of Health
Robert Martensen draws on decades of experience with patients and friends to explore the life cycle of serious illness, from diagnosis to end of life. He connects personal stories with reflections upon mortality, and the value of cutting-edge technology in caring for the critically ill. Timely questions emerge: To what extent should efforts to extend human life be made? How has the American health-care system affected treatment of the critically ill? And, what are our doctors’ responsibilities to us as patients, and where do those responsibilities end? Martensen demonstrates how we can maintain dignity and resilience in the face of life’s most daunting circumstances. A book signing and reception will follow the talk in the Lahey Room on the fifth floor of Countway. For more information, contact rvogel@hms.harvard.edu.
Copyright 2009 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College