A Second Act
What Nearly Dying Teaches Us About Really Living
Published on 29. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-3985-3236-6 (ISBN)
Description
'Combining vivid storytelling with thoughtful reflections... A Second Act calls to something deep inside me, inside all of us, not to let the wonder of being alive pass us by' Dr Kathryn Mannix, author and palliative care doctor
'Dramatic and heart-warming' The Times
Dr Matt Morgan has met hundreds of people who've come back from the dead. They're people like Ed, who had been hit by a bolt of lightning -enough volts to power a city for a day - and survived after receiving life-saving CPR.
In this beautiful and life-affirming book, Morgan introduces us to patients who've experienced hypothermia, overdoses, heart attacks and transplants to see how their lives have been transformed by the second chances they've been given. He shares the important lessons they've learned, along with his own realisations about life and how to make the most of it.
A Second Act is a powerful call to seize every opportunity and live life to the full.
'Morgan is a thoughtful and sensitive writer... [it] contains a lot of wisdom' New Statesman
'Dramatic and heart-warming' The Times
Dr Matt Morgan has met hundreds of people who've come back from the dead. They're people like Ed, who had been hit by a bolt of lightning -enough volts to power a city for a day - and survived after receiving life-saving CPR.
In this beautiful and life-affirming book, Morgan introduces us to patients who've experienced hypothermia, overdoses, heart attacks and transplants to see how their lives have been transformed by the second chances they've been given. He shares the important lessons they've learned, along with his own realisations about life and how to make the most of it.
A Second Act is a powerful call to seize every opportunity and live life to the full.
'Morgan is a thoughtful and sensitive writer... [it] contains a lot of wisdom' New Statesman
Reviews / Votes
'Combining vivid storytelling with thoughtful reflections... A Second Act calls to something deep inside me, inside all of us, not to let the wonder of being alive pass us by. I hope this book reaches readers everywhere, to inspire and console them' -- Dr Kathryn Mannix, author and palliative care doctor 'Morgan has a knack of writing simply and sincerely on matters that worry most of us...dramatic and heart-warming' * <I>The Times</I> * 'A Second Act has a neat narrative structure and covers a resonant subject, and Morgan is a thoughtful and sensitive writer...[it] contains a lot of wisdom' * <i>New Statesman</i> * 'Morgan proves an excellent guide to such wisdom. He is grateful to bear witness to these stories - and self-effacing about the part he plays in enabling some of them' * <I>Observer</I> * 'Humbling and very moving. Absolutely essential reading for any healthcare professional' -- Dr Xand van Tulleken 'Combining vivid storytelling with thoughtful reflections... A Second Act calls to something deep inside me, inside all of us, not to let the wonder of being alive pass us by. I hope this book reaches readers everywhere, to inspire and console them' -- Dr Kathryn Mannix, author and palliative care doctor 'Morgan has a knack of writing simply and sincerely on matters that worry most of us...dramatic and heart-warming' * <I>The Times</I> * 'A Second Act has a neat narrative structure and covers a resonant subject, and Morgan is a thoughtful and sensitive writer...[it] contains a lot of wisdom' * <i>New Statesman</i> * 'Morgan proves an excellent guide to such wisdom. He is grateful to bear witness to these stories - and self-effacing about the part he plays in enabling some of them' * <I>Observer</I> * 'Humbling and very moving. Absolutely essential reading for any healthcare professional' -- Dr Xand van TullekenMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
none
Dimensions
Height: 130 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
200 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-3236-6 (9781398532366)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2025
Simon + Schuster LLC
€9.02
Available for download
Person
Dr Matt Morgan is a British intensive care doctor. His open letter addressed to patients during the 2020 COVID pandemic has been read by over half a million people worldwide and viewed by over two million times after featuring on the Channel 4 news. His articles have featured in the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the Sunday Mirror and Huffington Post. A regular writer for the internationally acclaimed British Medical Journal, his article 'A letter from the ICU' is one of their most popular ever opinion article, read by over 130,000 people in 2020. His first book, Critical, has been translated into four languages. He lives in Cardiff with his family, enjoys CrossFit, photography, cold beer and even colder ice cream.