'When Breath Becomes Air makes you think about what it means to be fully alive'

Munmun Lamba, Marketing Manager, Middle East and Africa, at a Dubai-based insurance company, talks about her favourite reads

What are you reading now?
I have a habit of juggling between multiple books - I am currently reading two books, one is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, which is turning out to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read. I am also in the middle of another absolutely astounding, spine-chilling, mystery thriller called The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, selected by the members of a book club chaired by me.
A book that changed your life?
A book that not necessarily changed my life but shifted my thinking was The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. Having this introduced by a professor when I was in high school, the book failed to spark my interest at first sight but later, after giving it an obligatory read, I was quite moved. With an interesting storyline, this book certainly compelled me to give some thought to my life, goals, dreams and helped me cultivate some daily Zen habits that would help me reach those dreams. The lessons in it are simple and I still try to put them to practice.
Favourite literary character?
Jane Austen's heroines have a sort of ferocity to them, but Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice clearly stands out. She isn't perfect but she's intelligent and witty, has an independent spirit, is kind, gentle and loving, someone who is not afraid to voice her opinions or stand up for what she believes in.
A book you think is underrated?
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a memoir of the author, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University, who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in his mid-thirties. The author narrates his story tossing between many juxtapositions, such as life and death, faith and reason, which makes you think about how to approach death with grace and what it means to be fully alive. Not only does it compel one to re-evaluate their life choices but also inspires them to build their 'potential' to make real changes in society.
- Staff reporter