Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life

Written by Gene O'Kelly

Narrated by Michael Kramer

#8220;Must the end of life be the worst part? Can it be made the best?#8221; At 53, Eugene O'Kelly was in the full swing of life. Chairman and CEO of KPMG, one of the largest U.S. accounting firms, he enjoyed a successful career and drew happiness from his wife, children, family, and close friends. He was thinking ahead: the next business trip, the firm's continued success, weekend plans with his wife, his daughter's first day of eighth grade. Then in May 2005, Gene was diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer and given three to six months to live. Just like that. Now a growing darkness was absorbing the bright future he had seen for himself. He would have to change his plans, quickly, and capture what he could of his last diminishing days. Chasing Daylight is the account of his final journey. Starting from the time of his diagnosis and concluded upon his death less than four months later, this book is his unforgettable story. With startling intimacy, it chronicles the dissolution of Eugene O'Kelly's life and his gradual awakening to a more profound understanding. Interweaving unsettling details of his battle with cancer with his moment-to-moment reflections on life and death, love and success, spirituality and the search for meaning, it provides a testament to the power of the human spirit and a compelling message about how to live a more vivid, balanced, and meaningful life. Inspiring, passionate, deeply insightful, Chasing Daylight is a remarkable man's poignant farewell to a beloved world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: McGraw Hill-Ascent Audio
• Release date: Oct 26, 2007
• ISBN: 9781639290758

Reviews for Chasing Daylight

[prest0-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One would expect that a book in which the author chronicles the months leading up to his own death would be something of a downer. In fact, O'Kelly does a good job of keeping his book focused on the positive changes he made in his life to give himself "the best death possible." That being said, it's pretty hard to read the last chapter without crying.Chasing Daylight is a relativly short read. The hardback is only 177 pages, and the type and leading were both quite generous. It's a thought-provoking look at not only death and dying, but life and living. I'm glad I read it.

[c_why · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

At age 53 the CEO of KPMG is given 3 months to live (brain cancer). He "organizes" his departure to the n-th degree of his type AAAA personality. He says formal goodbyes (in appropriate settings & circumstances - eg. favorite restaurants, boating, golf course, etc). He writes this book. He learns instantly to go from king-of-the-heap personality to being-in-the-now "Buddhistic" expert.This is a book unlike anything I've ever or will ever encounter - producing in this reader an existential nausea. Yet despite this revulsion I couldn't put it down becuase I was sure he would manage somehow to bury his own casket - else what could a SUCCESSFUL life be all about? Still & all, if there is any truth to this book (which seemed James Frey-ish to me all the way through) you've got to sickeningly begrudge Mr. O'Kelly some admiration.Now I'm going to look up all the buddies he left a few years back & see how involved they were in our economic catastrophe of autumn 2008. Sorry, O'Kelly. "CEO" is not an admirable position these days -- you checked out just in time.