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Suicide: Opposing Viewpoints
John Paul II, Timothy E. Quill, and 22 others examine the ethical, legal, and causative issues of suicide in the following Is Suicide an Individual Right? Should Assisted Suicide Be Legal? What Causes Teen Suicide? How Can Suicide Be Prevented?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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April 9, 2026
“Suicide- Opposing Viewpoints” by Jaqueline Langwith and Roman Espejo
Genre: Academic Commentary
Should people who are terminally ill be allowed by a physician to end their own lives? Is suicide acceptable once you have reached a certain point of despair? Those questions and many others pertaining to the premature ending of one’s life are discussed in this collection of essays written to defend or oppose a certain viewpoint about the topic of suicide.
Over 20 different authors who have done their research on their respective topics have agreed to have their writings included in this book. The book is a real academic paper with citations and statistics for every claim. The legality, ethicality, and causes of suicide are examined meticulously.
What I think of the book
Because these are academic writings, there is a lot of complex vocabulary used. The text is written at the university level, and I found myself needing a dictionary on standby while going through the book. It was interesting just how convincing the arguments of each side were. I found myself agreeing with nearly everything one viewpoint said, even though I agreed with another one that opposed it. The book’s small size is deceiving because the paragraphs are very content-heavy and will take a long time to read and digest. Also, this piece is less like a narrative and more like a tool for discussion. If you are looking for something that flows nicely page to page, this book is not for you.
Conclusion: This book holds a lot of significance as it contains topics that have been debated over centuries. It brings forth dilemmas that even modern laws don’t have concrete answers to. It would seem that the book’s purpose is to inform and challenge your thoughts and should be approached with an open mind. I would recommend this book to anyone studying law or philosophy because those are at the core of the discussion in the book. As for personal enjoyment, I give this book a two out of five stars.
Genre: Academic Commentary
Should people who are terminally ill be allowed by a physician to end their own lives? Is suicide acceptable once you have reached a certain point of despair? Those questions and many others pertaining to the premature ending of one’s life are discussed in this collection of essays written to defend or oppose a certain viewpoint about the topic of suicide.
Over 20 different authors who have done their research on their respective topics have agreed to have their writings included in this book. The book is a real academic paper with citations and statistics for every claim. The legality, ethicality, and causes of suicide are examined meticulously.
What I think of the book
Because these are academic writings, there is a lot of complex vocabulary used. The text is written at the university level, and I found myself needing a dictionary on standby while going through the book. It was interesting just how convincing the arguments of each side were. I found myself agreeing with nearly everything one viewpoint said, even though I agreed with another one that opposed it. The book’s small size is deceiving because the paragraphs are very content-heavy and will take a long time to read and digest. Also, this piece is less like a narrative and more like a tool for discussion. If you are looking for something that flows nicely page to page, this book is not for you.
Conclusion: This book holds a lot of significance as it contains topics that have been debated over centuries. It brings forth dilemmas that even modern laws don’t have concrete answers to. It would seem that the book’s purpose is to inform and challenge your thoughts and should be approached with an open mind. I would recommend this book to anyone studying law or philosophy because those are at the core of the discussion in the book. As for personal enjoyment, I give this book a two out of five stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review