suffering. "knocking on heaven's door: the path to a better life," part memoir, part investigative report explores the economic costs of death and dying. more than a third of medicare patients have surgery in the last year of life. nearly a tenth have surgery in the last month of life. and a fifth die in intensive care. medical overtreatment costs the u.s. health care system an estimated $158 billion to $226 billion a year. the author of that book, katie butler, is joining me today. also here, steven latham from yale and dr. diane meyer, director of the center to advance palliative care at mt. sinai's icon school of medicine. nice to have you all here. i spent much of the week reading your book. and actually lost my grandmother-in-law very suddenly in the middle of the week while reading your book.