Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper

by Barry K. Baines

As evidenced in the Terri Schiavo case that made national headlines, having a living will is an essential element in ensuring that the way in which you would like to spend your last days will be respected. It informs both family and doctors of your medical treatment preferences in specific situations. An ethical will is a complementary text that communicates personal values, beliefs, blessings, and advice to relatives and to future generations. It can be more meaningful to friends and family than any material possession you could bequeath to them. Together, living and ethical wills ensure that your wishes and hopes are "on the record," not to be lost, ignored, or forgotten. Offering practical and inspirational advice for people at any stage of life, Ethical and Living Wills --Three recommended writing approaches to capturing our feelings for posterity --Expert information for understanding the legal and practical issues involved in documenting your medical care and treatment preferences in commonly occurring situations --Advice on when to distribute both ethical and living wills -- Tips to protect the legacy you leave in an ethical will-preparing and caring for the document you create

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Writing

217 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to think about
Adult

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read with some helpful info for writing both an ethical will and a living will, good stuff.

[Lisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for work, which meant I wasn't quite sure how enjoyable it would be, but I really liked it and it was very useful to me and my coworkers and hopefully my donors as well.

I think Barry Baines makes creating an ethical will a very easy and fun thing to do. I am only in my twenties, but am hoping to get my own ethical will done as well in the near future.

I love the idea of leaving your loved ones with something much more powerful and sentimental than just material things. You are leaving htem with your hopes and dreams for their future and the world...and what you hope/d for your own as well. I also like the parts about passing down traditions that might otherwise get passed over b/c people didn't realize how important they were to you.

I feel this book helps you better reflect on the past parts of your life you might otherwise have thought nothing more about and how it encourages you to look towards the future and see if what you wanted for yourself years ago is where you are now and if you still continuing in the direction you were hoping to be going.

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have reasonable writing skills and a little creativity, the process of writing an ethical will seems straightforward. What Baines brings to all of us is the perspective of multiple experiences, including his own, others he has worked with in the last stages of life, and a full spectrum of examples across all ages. There's also valuable content about living wills and thoughts about how the two concepts are connected. What I like best about this book is the way it encourages anyone to get moving on leaving behind what they think is most important from their own unqiue life experience.