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Facing Death: Spirituality, Science, and Surrender at the End of Life
A Fresh Look at the End of Life by a Leader in the Field The end of life is the most challenging mystery you will ever face. Whether you’re wrestling with a serious illness, working as a medical professional, or just yearning to experience the eternal, trying to reconcile science and spirituality to the reality of death often raises more questions than answers. After more than a half-century of treating and counseling terminally ill patients, Dr. Brad Stuart offers wisdom and insights to help you make peace with death and bring spiritual realization down to earth. His book will help The bottom You bring one thing into this life when you’re born, and you only take one thing with you when you leave—who you truly are. Available in Kindle, paperback and hardbound. Click ‘Look Inside’ to begin reading now.
276 pages, Hardcover
Published July 11, 2023
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 10, 2026
Facing Death: Spirituality, Science, and Surrender at the End of Life is one of those rare books that doesn’t try to solve death it helps you sit with it honestly.
Dr. Brad Stuart writes with the grounded authority of someone who has walked beside the dying for decades, yet the book never feels clinical or detached. What stood out most for me was how seamlessly he bridges science and spirituality without forcing either to compete. There’s no agenda here just presence, humility, and hard earned wisdom.
Rather than offering abstract theories about the afterlife, Stuart brings the conversation back to what actually matters at the end of life: identity, surrender, meaning, and the quiet stripping away of what isn’t essential. His reflections feel less like lessons and more like invitations to soften, to listen, and to reconsider who we are beneath our roles, diagnoses, and fears.
This book is especially powerful for anyone facing serious illness, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare or hospice care. But it’s also deeply relevant for readers who aren’t anywhere near death yet and sense that avoiding the topic doesn’t actually make life richer. If anything, this book gently argues the opposite.
Calm, compassionate, and profoundly human, Facing Death reminds us that the end of life is not just a medical event it’s a spiritual threshold. And what we take with us, as Stuart so clearly shows, is not our accomplishments, but our truest self.
A quiet, meaningful read that stays with you long after the last page.
Dr. Brad Stuart writes with the grounded authority of someone who has walked beside the dying for decades, yet the book never feels clinical or detached. What stood out most for me was how seamlessly he bridges science and spirituality without forcing either to compete. There’s no agenda here just presence, humility, and hard earned wisdom.
Rather than offering abstract theories about the afterlife, Stuart brings the conversation back to what actually matters at the end of life: identity, surrender, meaning, and the quiet stripping away of what isn’t essential. His reflections feel less like lessons and more like invitations to soften, to listen, and to reconsider who we are beneath our roles, diagnoses, and fears.
This book is especially powerful for anyone facing serious illness, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare or hospice care. But it’s also deeply relevant for readers who aren’t anywhere near death yet and sense that avoiding the topic doesn’t actually make life richer. If anything, this book gently argues the opposite.
Calm, compassionate, and profoundly human, Facing Death reminds us that the end of life is not just a medical event it’s a spiritual threshold. And what we take with us, as Stuart so clearly shows, is not our accomplishments, but our truest self.
A quiet, meaningful read that stays with you long after the last page.
January 14, 2025
Facing Death: Spirituality, Science, and Surrender at the End of Life by Brad Stuart MD is a profound and compassionate exploration of mortality that brilliantly bridges medical science and spiritual understanding. Drawing from his extensive hospice experience, Stuart offers a nuanced, deeply human perspective on end-of-life journeys.
The book's greatest strength lies in its balanced approach, avoiding religious dogma while exploring consciousness, healing, and the transformative potential of facing death. Stuart weaves personal anecdotes, scientific research, and spiritual insights into a compelling narrative that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.
Unlike clinical texts that treat death as a medical failure, Stuart presents it as a meaningful life transition. He challenges societal taboos, offering readers a hopeful, dignified framework for understanding mortality. His writing is accessible, engaging, and surprisingly uplifting.
For healthcare professionals, caregivers, patients, or anyone wrestling with life's ultimate mystery, "Facing Death" is an essential read. Dr. Stuart transforms a potentially frightening subject into a journey of potential growth, understanding, and profound human connection.
A remarkable book that doesn't just explain death, but illuminates life itself.
The book's greatest strength lies in its balanced approach, avoiding religious dogma while exploring consciousness, healing, and the transformative potential of facing death. Stuart weaves personal anecdotes, scientific research, and spiritual insights into a compelling narrative that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.
Unlike clinical texts that treat death as a medical failure, Stuart presents it as a meaningful life transition. He challenges societal taboos, offering readers a hopeful, dignified framework for understanding mortality. His writing is accessible, engaging, and surprisingly uplifting.
For healthcare professionals, caregivers, patients, or anyone wrestling with life's ultimate mystery, "Facing Death" is an essential read. Dr. Stuart transforms a potentially frightening subject into a journey of potential growth, understanding, and profound human connection.
A remarkable book that doesn't just explain death, but illuminates life itself.
February 10, 2026
As a healthcare professional, Facing Death: Spirituality, Science, and Surrender at the End of Life resonated with me on a deeply personal and professional level. Dr. Brad Stuart brings decades of clinical experience into this book, but what truly sets it apart is his ability to integrate medical understanding with emotional and spiritual awareness. He speaks honestly about the limitations of medicine at the end of life, while honoring the profound human experience that unfolds when cure is no longer the goal.
The patient stories are especially powerful grounded, respectful, and free of sentimentality. They reflect realities many clinicians witness but rarely have space to process: fear, grace, unfinished business, and moments of unexpected clarity. Stuart reminds us that end of life care is not about “giving up,” but about shifting toward presence, meaning, and dignity.
This book should be required reading for anyone working in medicine, hospice, or caregiving roles. It reinforces why compassionate, whole person care matters and offers a much needed reminder that even when we cannot heal the body, we can still profoundly serve the person.
The patient stories are especially powerful grounded, respectful, and free of sentimentality. They reflect realities many clinicians witness but rarely have space to process: fear, grace, unfinished business, and moments of unexpected clarity. Stuart reminds us that end of life care is not about “giving up,” but about shifting toward presence, meaning, and dignity.
This book should be required reading for anyone working in medicine, hospice, or caregiving roles. It reinforces why compassionate, whole person care matters and offers a much needed reminder that even when we cannot heal the body, we can still profoundly serve the person.
February 10, 2026
This book felt like a quiet companion on the path of understanding life, death, and what lies beyond both. Facing Death doesn’t try to define spirituality or push a belief system. Instead, Dr. Brad Stuart invites the reader into a gentle inquiry one rooted in lived experience, humility, and deep listening.
What moved me most was the idea that death is not an ending to be feared, but a revealing moment one that strips away illusion and brings us closer to our true self. The stories of those at the end of life are tender and illuminating, showing how surrender can open doors to peace, insight, and even joy. Stuart’s writing grounds spiritual realization in real, human moments rather than abstract ideas.
If you are someone who reflects on impermanence, consciousness, or the mystery of existence, this book offers wisdom without dogma. It reminded me that the work of living and the work of dying are deeply connected and that both ask us to return, again and again, to who we truly are.
What moved me most was the idea that death is not an ending to be feared, but a revealing moment one that strips away illusion and brings us closer to our true self. The stories of those at the end of life are tender and illuminating, showing how surrender can open doors to peace, insight, and even joy. Stuart’s writing grounds spiritual realization in real, human moments rather than abstract ideas.
If you are someone who reflects on impermanence, consciousness, or the mystery of existence, this book offers wisdom without dogma. It reminded me that the work of living and the work of dying are deeply connected and that both ask us to return, again and again, to who we truly are.
February 10, 2026
I didn’t expect a book about death to feel so comforting, but Facing Death surprised me in the best way. Dr. Brad Stuart writes with warmth, honesty, and compassion, making a difficult topic feel approachable and deeply human. This isn’t a depressing or clinical read it’s thoughtful, reflective, and often quietly reassuring.
The real-life stories stayed with me the most. They made me think about what truly matters at the end of life: relationships, authenticity, and inner peace not status or possessions. The book gently encourages readers to face mortality without panic, and instead with curiosity and acceptance.
You don’t need to be ill, spiritual, or in the medical field to appreciate this book. If you’ve ever wondered about death, feared it, or avoided thinking about it altogether, this is a meaningful place to start. It left me feeling calmer about life itself and more intentional about how I want to live.
The real-life stories stayed with me the most. They made me think about what truly matters at the end of life: relationships, authenticity, and inner peace not status or possessions. The book gently encourages readers to face mortality without panic, and instead with curiosity and acceptance.
You don’t need to be ill, spiritual, or in the medical field to appreciate this book. If you’ve ever wondered about death, feared it, or avoided thinking about it altogether, this is a meaningful place to start. It left me feeling calmer about life itself and more intentional about how I want to live.
August 5, 2023
Dr Stuart has written an exceptional book. Drawing from his extensive experience, he illustrates how medical professionals and caregivers can approach patients with greater sensitivity. By presenting case histories, scientific research, and personal anecdotes we get to understand the importance of empathy and spirituality as a means to making one’s last days meaningful. Complex ideas are presented in a clear and interesting way. I think this book is important not only as a resource for healthcare professionals, but for all of us who have pondered the inevitable.
February 10, 2026
This is one of those rare books that speaks softly but carries real weight. Dr. Brad Stuart blends medical truth with spiritual clarity without forcing either one to win. Facing Death doesn’t try to comfort you with clichés it invites you into honesty, surrender, and self-recognition. The reminder that we leave this life with only who we truly are is simple, profound, and unsettling in the best way. A grounded, humane read for anyone willing to face mortality with open eyes and an open soul.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews