She looked her age — 27, startlingly close to my own age. When she looked straight ahead, objects appeared normal, but if she looked to the right they underwent binary fission. In one particularly striking part of the book, Gawande discusses what makes life worth living when we are old, frail, and disabled. When the end is near, regardless of age or cultural background, people value time with their loved ones more. However, when the end is far off, people tend to value time with their loved ones less.