Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life book cover

Chasing Daylight

How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life

Eugene O'Kelly
3.93(3546 Reviews)

Overview of Chasing Daylight

When KPMG's CEO received a terminal diagnosis, he wrote this extraordinary memoir in just 100 days. "Chasing Daylight" challenges our priorities in life's final moments. Investor Brad Feld called it "one of the best books of the decade" - what would you do with your last days?

Key Themes in Chasing Daylight

  • terminal diagnosis perspective
  • work-life recalibration
  • conscious dying
  • present moment awareness
  • legacy planning

Quotes from Chasing Daylight

  • Success often demands sacrifice, but at what point does the equation become dangerously unbalanced?

  • Isn't it telling that it often takes a health crisis to reveal the poverty of our priorities?

  • Have you ever sensed something was wrong but pushed the thought aside because acknowledging it would disrupt everything?

  • What does it mean to truly live when your days are suddenly countable?

Characters in Chasing Daylight

  • Eugene O'KellyFormer CEO of KPMG diagnosed with brain cancer
  • Corinne O'KellyEugene's wife who helped him navigate his final days
  • Marianne O'KellyEugene's daughter mentioned in his reflections

About the Author

About the Author of Chasing Daylight

Eugene O'Kelly (1952–2005) was the acclaimed author of the bestselling memoir Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life and the former CEO of KPMG, one of the world’s largest accounting firms. Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 53, he channeled his corporate leadership experience into a profound exploration of mortality, work-life balance, and purposeful living.

Blending personal narrative with philosophical insights, the book chronicles his methodical approach to “unwinding” relationships and embracing present-moment awareness during his final 100 days.

As KPMG’s CEO from 2002 to 2005, O’Kelly’s 30-year career in audit and advisory services informed his clear-eyed analysis of life priorities. His story gained global recognition through features in The New York Times, USA Today, and Bloomberg News, solidifying its status as a corporate wellness manifesto. Translated into multiple languages, Chasing Daylight remains a seminal work on reconciling professional success with personal fulfillment, frequently cited in leadership development programs and end-of-life care discussions.

Download Summary of Chasing Daylight

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