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A Good Death: Making the Most of Our Final Choices
We can’t avoid death, but the prospect is a lot less terrifying since the Supreme Court of Canada legalized physician-assisted death. Competent adults, suffering grievously from intolerable medical conditions, will have the right to ask for a doctor’s help in ending their lives. That much is clear.
The challenge now is to pass legislation that reflects this landmark decision and develop regulations that reconcile the Charter rights of both doctors and patients. If we get the balance right between compassion for the suffering and protection of the vulnerable, between individual choice and social responsibility, we can set an example for the world.
A Good Death is timely, engaging and inspiring. In taking on our ultimate human right, award-winning journalist Sandra Martin charts the history of the right to die movement here and abroad through the personal stories of brave campaigners like Sue Rodriguez, Brittany Maynard and Gloria Taylor. Martin weighs the evidence from permissive jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Oregon, California, Switzerland and Quebec and portrays her own intellectual and emotional journey through the tangled legal, medical, religious and political documentation concerning terminal sedation, slippery slopes, and the sanctity of life.
Modern death has become a wrenching political dilemma, one that becomes more pressing as the population ages. A Good Death confronts our fears about dying, our struggle for meaning, and our dread of being trapped by voracious medical technology in a nightmare world that has abandoned caring in pursuit of curing, no matter the cost or the suffering to patients and their families.
A Good Death asks the tough question none of us can avoid: How do we want to die? The answer will change your life-and your death.
The challenge now is to pass legislation that reflects this landmark decision and develop regulations that reconcile the Charter rights of both doctors and patients. If we get the balance right between compassion for the suffering and protection of the vulnerable, between individual choice and social responsibility, we can set an example for the world.
A Good Death is timely, engaging and inspiring. In taking on our ultimate human right, award-winning journalist Sandra Martin charts the history of the right to die movement here and abroad through the personal stories of brave campaigners like Sue Rodriguez, Brittany Maynard and Gloria Taylor. Martin weighs the evidence from permissive jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Oregon, California, Switzerland and Quebec and portrays her own intellectual and emotional journey through the tangled legal, medical, religious and political documentation concerning terminal sedation, slippery slopes, and the sanctity of life.
Modern death has become a wrenching political dilemma, one that becomes more pressing as the population ages. A Good Death confronts our fears about dying, our struggle for meaning, and our dread of being trapped by voracious medical technology in a nightmare world that has abandoned caring in pursuit of curing, no matter the cost or the suffering to patients and their families.
A Good Death asks the tough question none of us can avoid: How do we want to die? The answer will change your life-and your death.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2016
27 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 25, 2020
This is a very good read, and aligns with my personal values.
This said, it's pretty "partisan" -- Martin knows her stance on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and personal choice, and she makes a compelling argument for that side. This isn't a balanced book of differing opinions, if that's what you're looking for. I have a friend who's a palliative care doctor, and her viewpoint is strongly in opposition to those presented in this book. By reading just this book, you certainly wouldn't hear my friends' viewpoint, and for that reason this may be a myopic lens just on its own. I recommend you read this, but reach out for other perspectives as well to help you formulate a thoughtful personal opinion on death and particularly MAID.
This said, it's pretty "partisan" -- Martin knows her stance on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and personal choice, and she makes a compelling argument for that side. This isn't a balanced book of differing opinions, if that's what you're looking for. I have a friend who's a palliative care doctor, and her viewpoint is strongly in opposition to those presented in this book. By reading just this book, you certainly wouldn't hear my friends' viewpoint, and for that reason this may be a myopic lens just on its own. I recommend you read this, but reach out for other perspectives as well to help you formulate a thoughtful personal opinion on death and particularly MAID.
February 18, 2017
My second in the 26 Books in 2017 challenge is this thought-provoking and evocative book from the Globe and Mail Obit writer, Sandra Martin Sandra Martin. While I intend to come back and revisit many of the issues presented in the book in blog or article format, I just want to note a few things.
If I had to identify a key characteristic of every single individual in Sandra Martin's book it would be Courage. Despite opposition from nearly everyone around them, they fought and fought and fought for the right to end their lives on their own time, in their own dignified way, because of particular, specific, and highly contextual situations.
We are often quick to judge, and to condemn others who don't see the world the way we do. But there's always another side to that story: we don't see or hear the pain that someone goes through, choking on their own phlegm as was the case of former Conservative MP Steven Fletcher, who, again, with courage, went against the wishes of his own party leader and Prime Minister in order to introduce motions and bills allowing for physician-assisted death. As for the Sue Rodriguez case, I just find myself wow'ed by the fact that she pressed on, despite all opposition, including challenges faced within her own circle of confidants and friends.
Allies are hard to find when you're ill. Everybody wants to be an ally, but nobody actually wants to spend the time getting to know what it means to live deeply live with a disability. We're not really interested in hearing the dirty hidden realities that people with debilitating illnesses like ALS, or Huntington's Disease go through. "Disability Porn" feeds into that as well; we're in the habit of using people who are disabled to model the power of overcoming of defeat, which always seems to look suspiciously like the life of an abled person. But when we really stop and listen when we really take the time to invest ourselves in the lives of those who are suffering we can begin to take on their pain, to take on their grief, and their loss, and then, really see the world through their eyes.
If you know that you are going to die in the next 10 years, and that death will be slow and painful and debilitating and undignified the whole way; when you understand that you will fade away, held captive by community incapable and even unwilling to understand, to take on themselves the extent of your pain and agony, that changes the way you look at the world.
Ultimately, it also changes the way you look at death. These are their stories.
If I had to identify a key characteristic of every single individual in Sandra Martin's book it would be Courage. Despite opposition from nearly everyone around them, they fought and fought and fought for the right to end their lives on their own time, in their own dignified way, because of particular, specific, and highly contextual situations.
We are often quick to judge, and to condemn others who don't see the world the way we do. But there's always another side to that story: we don't see or hear the pain that someone goes through, choking on their own phlegm as was the case of former Conservative MP Steven Fletcher, who, again, with courage, went against the wishes of his own party leader and Prime Minister in order to introduce motions and bills allowing for physician-assisted death. As for the Sue Rodriguez case, I just find myself wow'ed by the fact that she pressed on, despite all opposition, including challenges faced within her own circle of confidants and friends.
Allies are hard to find when you're ill. Everybody wants to be an ally, but nobody actually wants to spend the time getting to know what it means to live deeply live with a disability. We're not really interested in hearing the dirty hidden realities that people with debilitating illnesses like ALS, or Huntington's Disease go through. "Disability Porn" feeds into that as well; we're in the habit of using people who are disabled to model the power of overcoming of defeat, which always seems to look suspiciously like the life of an abled person. But when we really stop and listen when we really take the time to invest ourselves in the lives of those who are suffering we can begin to take on their pain, to take on their grief, and their loss, and then, really see the world through their eyes.
If you know that you are going to die in the next 10 years, and that death will be slow and painful and debilitating and undignified the whole way; when you understand that you will fade away, held captive by community incapable and even unwilling to understand, to take on themselves the extent of your pain and agony, that changes the way you look at the world.
Ultimately, it also changes the way you look at death. These are their stories.
June 20, 2016
A very good, well researched book about the fight for assisted dying in Canada. Martin looks at historical cases, ethical dilemmas and at what other countries are doing/have. This book was impeccably researched and a reader can learn a lot about the history that led up to Canada's assisted dying laws. (A victory, even though they are far from perfect)
Martin makes a good case for assisted dying and why assisted dying is about alleviating human suffering.
This book is a dense book and it's a hard read, not only because of the subject matter, but because it's about dozens of legal cases. I have a tendency to get lost in legal cases, so I struggled with sections of this book.
Still, this is an important and necessary book, and Martin used her skills to capture the story. The book also has a good narrative flow, and I have to say that I did learn a lot from this book, which is good, because I'm a member of Dying with Dignity and have been involved with the right to die movement.
I also feel that I will be able to be even more of advocate as I am now armed with even more understanding of the issue, thanks to Martin's well-researched book.
Martin makes a good case for assisted dying and why assisted dying is about alleviating human suffering.
This book is a dense book and it's a hard read, not only because of the subject matter, but because it's about dozens of legal cases. I have a tendency to get lost in legal cases, so I struggled with sections of this book.
Still, this is an important and necessary book, and Martin used her skills to capture the story. The book also has a good narrative flow, and I have to say that I did learn a lot from this book, which is good, because I'm a member of Dying with Dignity and have been involved with the right to die movement.
I also feel that I will be able to be even more of advocate as I am now armed with even more understanding of the issue, thanks to Martin's well-researched book.
February 28, 2019
This book is an excellent summary of the debates over end-of-life issues from the 1970s until 2015. Two broad issues are followed in some detail. First, the movement to promote hospices in the United Kingdom and palliative care in Canada is explained. The contributions of pioneers such as Cicely Saunders and Balfour Mount are detailed, as the idea that death is part of life took hold. Instead of seeing palliative measures at the end of life as “ throwing in the towel”, the care and comfort of the terminally ill, and attention to their spiritual and emotional needs, were given new emphasis. While access to palliative care in Canada is far from universal, it has made great progress and helped ease the final days of thousands of Canadians.
The second debate focuses on the “right” to end life through access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. This is a story that has a legal and a political side in Canada. In many ways, the debate started in the early 1990s when Sue Rodriguez, who suffered from ALS, petitioned the court for assisted suicide, fearing the day that her physical incapacities would make it impossible for her to commit suicide ( a legal act). In a narrow decision, the Supreme Court of Canada denied her request with five judges voting against, and four siding with Ms Rodriguez. Later in the same decade, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the state of Oregon opened the door to different models of euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Two decades later, the issue came to the forefront again. Another legal challenge, the Carter case, was mounted in British Columbia. At the same time, Quebec’s National Assembly opened public hearings before a special, bipartisan committee to study end-of-life issues. I had the honour of chairing this committee through the public phase, when the committee toured the province and heard over 300 witnesses, most of them private citizens who shared their highly personal and often painful experiences with death. The committee recommended strengthening access to palliative care, and granting access to medically assisted dying for the terminally ill for consenting adults. Legislation to that end 2as adopted in 2014. A year later, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of granting access to medically assisted suicide in its a Carter decision.
The ramifications of these developments are still being felt. Difficult debates remain over access for minors, for people suffering from dementia and who can no longer give their consent, to those who are gravely incapacitated but not terminally ill, and to those suffering from profound mental illness. Sandra Martin has provided an excellent survey of how the debate has evolved, and how we have arrived at our current situation.
The second debate focuses on the “right” to end life through access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. This is a story that has a legal and a political side in Canada. In many ways, the debate started in the early 1990s when Sue Rodriguez, who suffered from ALS, petitioned the court for assisted suicide, fearing the day that her physical incapacities would make it impossible for her to commit suicide ( a legal act). In a narrow decision, the Supreme Court of Canada denied her request with five judges voting against, and four siding with Ms Rodriguez. Later in the same decade, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the state of Oregon opened the door to different models of euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Two decades later, the issue came to the forefront again. Another legal challenge, the Carter case, was mounted in British Columbia. At the same time, Quebec’s National Assembly opened public hearings before a special, bipartisan committee to study end-of-life issues. I had the honour of chairing this committee through the public phase, when the committee toured the province and heard over 300 witnesses, most of them private citizens who shared their highly personal and often painful experiences with death. The committee recommended strengthening access to palliative care, and granting access to medically assisted dying for the terminally ill for consenting adults. Legislation to that end 2as adopted in 2014. A year later, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of granting access to medically assisted suicide in its a Carter decision.
The ramifications of these developments are still being felt. Difficult debates remain over access for minors, for people suffering from dementia and who can no longer give their consent, to those who are gravely incapacitated but not terminally ill, and to those suffering from profound mental illness. Sandra Martin has provided an excellent survey of how the debate has evolved, and how we have arrived at our current situation.
January 13, 2019
It’s a chilling topic for sure, but A Good Death examines the arguments for assisted death and the various court challenges that have impeded appropriate legislation. Arguing for the right of citizens to choose the time and manner of their death, Martin recalls the case of Sue Rodriguez, Robert Latimer, Dr. Donald Low and various others. Along the way she defines assisted suicide, euthanasia, doctor assisted death and reviews the practices of Dignitas in Switzerland and Dying with Dignity, along with the rise of palliative services.
It’s a difficult discussion but one that requires each of us to determine our position on the subject - what if one of our parents was in tremendous pain both physically and psychologically - with ALS, Huntington’s or the myriad of other diagnoses that bring torment.....what if it is us?
It’s a difficult discussion but one that requires each of us to determine our position on the subject - what if one of our parents was in tremendous pain both physically and psychologically - with ALS, Huntington’s or the myriad of other diagnoses that bring torment.....what if it is us?
May 4, 2018
A must read for Canadians interested in right to die. The book covers the history leading up to the 2016 MAID legislation, and how that Bill falls short of both what the Supreme Court ruled and what the Parliamentary Committee recommended. It's well written. I think she could have dug in deeper on how "sanctity of life" is a religious belief, not a legal principle. Also on who gets to make the ultimate call on dying: the patient or the doctor. If only the (arrogant) medical profession took the point of view of Dr. Ellen Wiebe, to wit: "My job is to help them (the patients) have a good life and a good death by their standards, not mine."
July 25, 2017
How do we want to die? With assistance if our life becomes unbearable?
Martin chronicles the Right To Die movement in Canada. She tackesl the history, The legal view, the religious objections, other countries practices (e.g. Oregon, Switzerland), the political will, and Canadians viewpoint medical assisting death.
Lots of very interesting information. Author is scheduled at Sunshine Coast Writers Festival this year. I will be there to hear her.
Martin chronicles the Right To Die movement in Canada. She tackesl the history, The legal view, the religious objections, other countries practices (e.g. Oregon, Switzerland), the political will, and Canadians viewpoint medical assisting death.
Lots of very interesting information. Author is scheduled at Sunshine Coast Writers Festival this year. I will be there to hear her.
February 17, 2019
Forward by Margaret MacMillan. Making the Most of our Final Choices. Margaret Atwood wrote: A timely and deeply felt account of assisted dying: the histories, the issues.
British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
I was fully engrossed in reading this book. There was so much contemporary information on the legal aspects, medical opinion, and cases on the topic of assisted dying. The progress of legal arguments is interesting, and where the legal status is going.
British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
I was fully engrossed in reading this book. There was so much contemporary information on the legal aspects, medical opinion, and cases on the topic of assisted dying. The progress of legal arguments is interesting, and where the legal status is going.
December 11, 2017
An informative and extremely well researched book on an essential subject. Looking forward to checking out in the paperback (2017 edition) which includes a chapter on MAID and its potential constitutional challenges. Thank you Sandra Martin for helping Canadians to make informed decisions at the end of our lives.
February 11, 2024
How America palliates the dying in America. Honest, rough and telling personal stories from the author open eyes to an experience most dont see.
Read more like a conversation. Like a friend telling a story.
Read more like a conversation. Like a friend telling a story.
February 2, 2026
This book has a lot of good information about preparations that people can make to make their deaths easier. I did find that the author had her agenda and that she had her view of what made a good death for the dying and for the family.
December 6, 2017
The Canadian perspective in this book was terrific. Some of the court proceedings got a little bit dense; the real gold in this book is in the discussion and examples in the first few chapters.
December 18, 2017
A cross between a series of memoirs and a how-to guide filled with real talk about medically assisted dying in Canada.
May 7, 2020
Hard to read about end of life
October 13, 2023
4.59/5
July 14, 2016
Some time ago I read a very positive review of this book so put in on hold at my library thinking it was definitely worth a look. When it came I looked at the size of it, 364 pages, and thought it would not be too hard to scan through - after all I had been keeping up on the issue of Medical Aid in Dying and euthanasia so felt fairly current on the arguments for and against. My scan ended at about page 5 and I read every word with rapt attention to the end. Sandra Martin, an award winning journalist, sure knows how to make an issue accessible. Her expert weaving of facts, opinions, personal examples, political manoeuvring, and social pressures gave a picture of the complexity of the issue. Her sensitive balance of cool logic and palpable compassion is appropriate and admirable. She even has a blog that I will be following. Highly recommended
June 25, 2016
Excellent book about the history of how Canadians have come to the point where we are today in the matter of doctor assisted suicide. Sandra Martin compiles several interviews with family and friends of patients who have been caught up in the courts and hospitals dealing with their Right to Die. A must read for anyone contemplating this important 'life' decision.
August 11, 2016
A sometimes difficult book, but necessary. Funny feeling reading about events I was present for, and knew much of the detail.
October 18, 2016
This was an excellent read. Since all of us will die and have friends and family who will, it provides a necessary education in currently evolving political stance on how we deal with death
January 12, 2017
It's a book we should all read and discuss with the important people in our lives. Very thought provoking.
April 18, 2017
A Good Death . . .I don't think the title is representative of the primary theme (politics, power and legal struggles.)
Historians of the topic of freedom to choose your manner of death. I would have preferred more successful actions. I'd like to see changes in the education of doctors.
Historians of the topic of freedom to choose your manner of death. I would have preferred more successful actions. I'd like to see changes in the education of doctors.
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January 20, 2018A thought provoking, well-researched book about the historical background, people, issues, and legal decisions surrounding dying and the right to die by physician assisted death in Canada. I appreciate the case histories and the attention Martin gives to the difficult struggle of living with painful degenerative disease. The people she describes have lived and died with courage. But I think in advocating for medical assistance I dying, Martin has glossed over the very real religious dilemmas, and the faith position of doctors, who now, in Ontario, are mandated , regardless of their faith stance, to provide assisted death. I don't agree with everything Martin writes, but it is a very worthwhile book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews