Conversations on the Edge: Narratives of Ethics and Illness by Richard M. Zaner

by Richard M. Zaner

The narratives Richard Zaner shares in Conversations on the Edge are informed by his depth of knowledge in medicine and bioethics, but are never "clinical." These stories are filled with pain and joy, loneliness and hope. They are about life and death, about what happens in hospital rooms - and that place at the edge - where we confront mortality. It is the rarest of glimpses into the world of patients, their families, healers, and those who struggle, like Zaner, to understand.

Genres: Nonfiction, Illness, Nursing

Hardcover

First published January 8, 2004

Reviews

[Adam Omelianchuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of some serious issues, despite its tendency to meander (also chapter 5 is less about a conversation and more about a sad case that remains mysterious to the author).

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

By discussing the difficulties involved in six separate medical cases involving end-of-life care and questions of ethics in relation to medical treatment & understanding, Zaner's essays offer a careful view into some of the most difficult moments that individuals can face. The honesty and detail offered with each page of the collection are impressive, and all the more so because Zaner is honest about his own uncertainties and downfalls, and about the moments where uncharted territory has become a virtual battleground of science vs. faith, and the human spirit vs. instinct and learning. For most (if not all) adult readers, the collection will bring up difficult and personal considerations related to their own loved ones, but Zaner's discussions are so careful that the heart of the book is far less painful than might be expected.

Simply, the questions and considerations here are ones to be thought about and considered because there are no easy answers, and progressions in medical science can only ensure that they be faced more often, and with more at stake. For readers who are ready to consider medical ethics in a careful manner and think about what life means when, to all appearances, it has nearly left, Zaner's book will be welcome. Without doubt, it is necessary, difficult as the discussions may be.

Absolutely recommended.