Laura Rothenberg

[2] Goddaughter of Debra Winger,[3] Rothenberg attended The Chapin School[4] in Manhattan and then Brown University where she studied English until the deterioration of her cystic fibrosis forced her to withdraw and she decided to pursue a lung transplant, though it posed its own health risks.

[5] Health again forced Rothenberg to withdraw from Brown in November 2002 and on March 20, 2003, she died of chronic rejection of the transplant.

Breathing for a Living describes her fight with cystic fibrosis and her decision to pursue a double lung transplant.

[8] In The Washington Post, Roland Merullo wrote, "Those in the grasp of a fatal illness will recognize themselves here – the loneliness, the pain and hope – as will family members and friends.

The rest of us, so often oblivious to our good luck, might be moved to set the book down between chapters and put our complaints in perspective.