Humans have expressed ideas about death since cave paintings and stone tablets. In this space we’re offering some more recent books that we find particularly important, thought provoking, and helpful.
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Being Mortal
“We want autonomy for ourselves and safety for our loved ones.” This insight, among many more in this important book, has helped countless people begin to think about the loss of loved ones as well as their own mortality. Through many stories, Gawande stresses the importance of honest conversations.
Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life
We wish every physician, every terminal patient, and every future terminal patient would read this book. Zitter is an ICU and palliative care physician, a great story teller, and a much needed voice of reason regarding end of life care. She takes the reader inside the ICU, bedside with patients facing grave decisions, family consultations, and the sometimes complicated dynamics within the medical team and within individual physicians, especially herself.
Farewell: Vital End-of-Life Questions with Candid Answers
Creagan is a cancer specialist and first board certified palliative care and hospice physician at the Mayo Clinic. He covers emotional and medical aspects of dying, including considerations for advance directives.
Finish Strong: Putting YOUR Priorities First at Life’s End
“Everyone should receive candid information and medicine’s respectful deference to their beliefs and values,” write Lee, who has spent over half a century in health care and patient advocacy. Her book is intended to empower people to make the best decisions for themselves as illness advances and death approaches.
Let’s Talk about Death (over Dinner)
“I know that I need to identify and say the things I am afraid of saying,” Hebb writes, and talking honestly about death is one of the most challenging and meaningful things we will do. Hebb’s on-line Death Over Dinner is a one way to navigate such conversations. This book provides a rich supply of stories, prompts, guidance, and encouragement.