Reflections By KPMG's Late CEO On His Last Days Of Life Put Priorities In Perspective For...

Reflections By KPMG's Late CEO On His Last Days Of Life Put Priorities In Perspective For Harried Business Execs Book Review "Chasing Daylight - How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life," by Gene O'Kelly, $19.95, McGraw-Hill

When Gene O'Kelly, chairman and CEO of KPMG, was diagnosed in May

2005, at age 53, with inoperable late-stage brain cancer, he responded in a stereotypical Type-? CEO, methodical CPA, fashion: to be the master of his farewell. "I wanted these things, and only these things: Clarity. Intensity. Perfection ... I was motivated to 'succeed' at death - that is, to try to be constructive about it, and thus have the right death for me. To be clear about it and present during it. To embrace it."

He immediately set three goals: "(1) leave my job, (2) choose a medical protocol that allowed me to ..., and (3) make the time remaining the best of my life, and as good as it could possibly be for those most affected by my situation."

He also chronicled his journey and his discoveries: lessons learned in the business world that stood him in good stead and those that had to be discarded, the real meaning of commitment (it's not about time devoted), the struggle to focus on the present and the strength it requires, the joy of spontaneity, and the rewards those things bring.

His book, completed by his wife, Corinne, after his death in September, is poignant, inspiring and honest. It's a testament to the power of the human spirit and a compelling message about how to live a more vivid, balanced, and meaningful life.