PHILIP GOULD WAS A VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF TONY BLAIR, THE EX-PRIME MINISTER OF ENGLAND. IN 2008, AT THE AGE OF 58, PHILIP WAS DIAGNOSED WITH EASOPHAGEAL CANCER. THEREAFTER, FOR CONTINUOUS THREE YEARS HE GAVE A TOUGH FIGHT TO THE DREADFUL DISEASE. HE WAS CURED BUT THEN THE DISEASE RELAPSED CLAIMING THE LIFE OF THE STATESMAN. HIS DISEASE MADE HIM INTROVERT. A STRATEGIST BY NATURE, HE DECIDED TO GIVE A TOUGH FIGHT TO THIS DISEASE, AS IF IT WAS AN ELECTION GAME. HIS HEALTH STARTED DETERIORATING. IT WAS THEN HE DECIDED TO GO PUBLIC WHILE SHARING HIS THOUGHTS REGARDING CANCER. “WHEN I DIE”- AYUSHYACHA ANTIM SANSKAR IS THE RESULT OF HIS STRONG INTENTIONS TO CONVEY HIS THOUGHTS. A VERY TOUCHING JOURNEY, THE BOOK WILL ALSO BE A GREAT HELP TO THE CANCER PATIENTS. THE AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT LIFE PRESENTS AN IMPORTANT DIMENSION OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIP AND LIFE IN GENERAL.
फिलिप गूल्ड म्हणजे इंग्लंडचे माजी पंतप्रधान टोनी ब्लेअर यांचे निकटवर्तीय, आणि त्यांचे प्रमुख ‘स्ट्रेटेजिस्ट’. २००८ साली, वयाच्या अठ्ठावन्नाव्या वर्षी त्यांना अन्ननलिकेचा कॅन्सर झाला असल्याचं निदान केलं गेलं. त्यांच्यातल्या स्ट्रेटेजिस्टने निवडणूक डावपेच रचण्याच्या हिरिरीनेच या भयानक रोगाशी सामना करायचं ठरवलं. जसजशी त्यांची प्रकृती ढासळत गेली तसतसं आपल्या कॅन्सरविषयी आणि मनातल्या विचारांविषयी लोकांना सांगण्याची त्यांना अनिवार इच्छा झाली. ‘आयुष्याचा अंतिम संस्कार...’ म्हणजे या तळमळीचाच परिपाक आहे. वाचकाला हेलावून सोडणारी ही कथा स्फुर्तिदायक ठरेल यात शंका नाही. शिवाय मानवी आयुष्य आणि नातेसंबंधांचे मर्मही यात दडले आहे, जे प्रत्येकाला विचार करायला लावेल.