Conversations on the Edge: Narratives of Ethics and Illness

by Richard M. Zaner

At the edge of mortality there is a place where the seriously ill or dying wait -- a place where they may often feel vulnerable or alone. For over forty years, bioethicist cum philosopher Richard Zaner has been at the side of many of those people offering his incalculable gift of listening, and helping to lighten their burdens -- not only with his considerable skills, but with his humanity as well. 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." A genuine and caring heart beats underneath his compassionate words. Zaner has written several books in which he tells poignant stories of patients and families he has encountered; there is no question that this is his finest. In Conversations on the Edge , Zaner reveals an authentic empathy that never borders on the sentimental. Among others, he discusses Tom, a dialysis patient who finally reveals that his inability to work -- encouraged by his overprotective mother -- is the source of his hostility to treatment; Jim and Sue, young parents who must face the nightmare of letting go of their premature twins, one after the other; Mrs. Oland, whose family refuses to recognize her calm acceptance of her own death; and, in the final chapter, the author's mother, whose slow demise continues to haunt Zaner's professional and personal life. 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 -- when 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

168 pages, 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.