I was very comfortable with the amount of detail the author wrote about the operation. I think the soul is much more essential than just a piece of the human body. I enjoyed reading the historical context provided by the author. When I first read the story, I didn't realize that people in the past thought about the question of when death occurs. It has never happened to me to be close to a person on the verge of dying and wonder when he will stop being so, well him. Death is something that has always been there and we humans are continually trying to understand. I think if the person is brain dead and there is no chance of recovery, their organ can be harvested to save another person's life. Surgeons are not murderers in my mind. The operator only does what is asked or asked of him. I find it sad to think that a person's body is very lively but not in the brain. If I were a surgeon, I couldn't imagine considering a pumping heart as anything other than a simple pump. The author's description of her experience with H's operation provided insights and informed questions on the topic. There is a growing population of people who need organs to become available. Unfortunately, people die every day due to the limited amount of food available. Brain dead patients continue to appear on gurneys and doctors and families wonder if this person is sentient. In all literature, writers