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The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America
An intimate investigation of assisted dying in America and what it means to determine the end of our lives. In this groundbreaking book, award-winning cultural anthropologist Anita Hannig brings us into the lives of ordinary Americans who go to extraordinary lengths to set the terms of their own death. Faced with a terminal diagnosis and unbearable suffering, they decide to seek medical assistance in dying―a legal option now available to one in five Americans. Drawing on five years of research on the frontlines of assisted dying, Hannig unearths the uniquely personal narratives masked by a polarized national debate. Among them are Ken, an irreverent ninety-year-old blues musician who invites his family to his death, dons his best clothes, and goes out singing; Derianna, a retired nurse and midwife who treks through Oregon and Washington to guide dying patients across life's threshold; and Bruce, a scrappy activist with Parkinson's disease who fights to expand access to the law, not knowing he would soon, in an unexpected twist of fate, become eligible himself. Lyrical and lucid, sensitive but never sentimental, The Day I Die tackles one of the most urgent social issues of our how to restore dignity and meaning to the dying process in the age of high-tech medicine. Meticulously researched and compassionately rendered, the book exposes the tight legal restrictions, frustrating barriers to access, and corrosive cultural stigma that can undermine someone's quest for an assisted death―and why they persist in achieving the departure they desire. The Day I Die will transform the way we think about agency and closure in the face of death. Its colorful characters remind us what we all stand to gain when we confront the hard―and yet ultimately liberating―truth of our mortality.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published May 3, 2022
100 people are currently reading
3212 people want to read
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May 24, 2022When death goes wrong... given 10 times the amount of drugs that would stop your heart.... it doesn't work and the guy awakes a day after thrashing around distressingly, in absolute shock and no one knows the legal protocol for assisted dying when it didn't work the first time.
The drugs given are the ones that are given in executions. The difference is choice and place, and atmosphere.
The drugs given are the ones that are given in executions. The difference is choice and place, and atmosphere.
May 30, 2022
I knew as soon as I saw this book on NG that I was going to read it [whether by an ARC from the publisher or a purchase of it when it was published]. Much like the book "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande [which I read right as my dad was dying], I knew this book was going to be deeply personal for me and I was not wrong. Even knowing that [much like Being Mortal], I was unprepared for everything that I am feeling after finishing this outstanding book.
Based on five years of up close and personal research, the author sets out to explain assisted death in America and the pros and cons of this decision [there are parts that are really rough to read, though most of the deaths she experienced with the families she writes about went just as they had planned] and what goes into the decision to die on your own, with dignity and grace, on your own terms. She doesn't shy away from the harsh parts, nor does she explicitly endorse that sort of decision. She is able, miraculously, to stay neutral and write from both points of view in a clear and concise way that helps the reader figure out where they stand on their own. Along the way she learns so many profound things [some she passes on to us the readers and some she just eludes to] and when she herself finds in a situation where grief is all around her, she is able to lean into it and use what she has learned from these families and their caregivers to experience and deal with her grief in a very positive way.
As I said, this book was deeply personal to me. In 2016 my beloved Dad died. It was a horrible time and went against everything he would have wanted. Because he didn't have a written end-of-life narrative, my older siblings were able to bully their way in and disregard my Mom [his wife of 30+ years] and try to "extend" his life and it was a horrible experience, one that left us dripping in grief, something my Mom has not recovered from, 6 years later [she is now herself suffering from grief-induced Alzheimer's]. I often pray for forgiveness for how all that was handled. It was completely horrific and nothing anyone should ever have to go through. EVERYONE should have an end-of-life directive, no matter your age. If you are a legal adult, you need one. Make sure it is in certified writing just what you want to happen at the end of your life, whether it be from an illness or from an accident. I CANNOT stress this enough.
It was deeply personal to me as well simply because I have thought about this as my future. It is something I believe in and if I lived in a state that allowed it, I would already be starting the process to make sure everything is in place before my health declined to a point that I could not. This book emphasized just how important that is as well. It also emphasized that just because you have the means to end your life on your own terms doesn't mean that you will. Several of the people in the book didn't - they chose to die from their illness naturally [some better than others unfortunately], but it was the idea that they had the option. What a glorious thing. If you are someone who has a debilitating illness or chronic pain or, or, or, you will get what I am saying 100%.
It was interesting to learn just how difficult all this actually is - from all the rules about actually carrying out the death with dignity, to medicine woes and costs and family members who object [and there WILL be family members who object], to Doctors who refuse to obey the law because of their own moral compass [perhaps medicine isn't really for them if that interferes with the well-being of their patients, as this is also shown in the book], there can be many obstacles to get to where the patients wishes are carried out and often it becomes too late for them [which was heartbreaking to read about]. I learned so much from this and am so glad I was able to read it. It was written with compassion, humor, grace and caring and it moved me beyond I will ever be able to articulate.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anita Hannig, and Sourcebooks [nonfiction] for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Based on five years of up close and personal research, the author sets out to explain assisted death in America and the pros and cons of this decision [there are parts that are really rough to read, though most of the deaths she experienced with the families she writes about went just as they had planned] and what goes into the decision to die on your own, with dignity and grace, on your own terms. She doesn't shy away from the harsh parts, nor does she explicitly endorse that sort of decision. She is able, miraculously, to stay neutral and write from both points of view in a clear and concise way that helps the reader figure out where they stand on their own. Along the way she learns so many profound things [some she passes on to us the readers and some she just eludes to] and when she herself finds in a situation where grief is all around her, she is able to lean into it and use what she has learned from these families and their caregivers to experience and deal with her grief in a very positive way.
As I said, this book was deeply personal to me. In 2016 my beloved Dad died. It was a horrible time and went against everything he would have wanted. Because he didn't have a written end-of-life narrative, my older siblings were able to bully their way in and disregard my Mom [his wife of 30+ years] and try to "extend" his life and it was a horrible experience, one that left us dripping in grief, something my Mom has not recovered from, 6 years later [she is now herself suffering from grief-induced Alzheimer's]. I often pray for forgiveness for how all that was handled. It was completely horrific and nothing anyone should ever have to go through. EVERYONE should have an end-of-life directive, no matter your age. If you are a legal adult, you need one. Make sure it is in certified writing just what you want to happen at the end of your life, whether it be from an illness or from an accident. I CANNOT stress this enough.
It was deeply personal to me as well simply because I have thought about this as my future. It is something I believe in and if I lived in a state that allowed it, I would already be starting the process to make sure everything is in place before my health declined to a point that I could not. This book emphasized just how important that is as well. It also emphasized that just because you have the means to end your life on your own terms doesn't mean that you will. Several of the people in the book didn't - they chose to die from their illness naturally [some better than others unfortunately], but it was the idea that they had the option. What a glorious thing. If you are someone who has a debilitating illness or chronic pain or, or, or, you will get what I am saying 100%.
It was interesting to learn just how difficult all this actually is - from all the rules about actually carrying out the death with dignity, to medicine woes and costs and family members who object [and there WILL be family members who object], to Doctors who refuse to obey the law because of their own moral compass [perhaps medicine isn't really for them if that interferes with the well-being of their patients, as this is also shown in the book], there can be many obstacles to get to where the patients wishes are carried out and often it becomes too late for them [which was heartbreaking to read about]. I learned so much from this and am so glad I was able to read it. It was written with compassion, humor, grace and caring and it moved me beyond I will ever be able to articulate.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anita Hannig, and Sourcebooks [nonfiction] for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2022
I was 19 years old in 1972 when I watched “An Inalienable Right to Die.” It was the ninth episode of the fourth season of The Bold Ones: The New Doctors tv series. I have been a proponent of the individual right to die since then. Not just the right to die, but if wanted, medical assistance. (I am assuming here that those who want to die have non psychiatric reasons for doing so—medical conditions and face a drawn-out, prolonged, frightful, painful end if left to nature. Or god.)
I have read, through the years, several books on death and dying, from Dr. Sherwin Nuland’s, How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter to Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, and several in between.
Death is something all persons born of woman will go through. If you are one who believes people should suffer as they die for atonement purposes, this may not be the book for you. But if you or a loved one are facing death, and you, or they, wish to be in control without making a bloody mess with a shotgun in the basement, then read this book.
Ms. Hannig is a trained anthropologist, and spent time living in Oregon, researched their right to die laws and spent a great deal of time in both Oregon and Washington interviewing people who wanted to, and were preparing to, Die with Dignity. She attended several deaths, with permission, and interviewed survivors. She has compassion and empathy for both sides of the story. Her writing is accessible, gentle, sensitive, and informative.
I believe the art of dying should be part of the required curriculum in Medical Schools. Doctors want to keep us alive at all costs, when in fact, many people would prefer a good death. Why be forced to stay alive in a drug induced state when one is not able to function? Why not be able to have friends and family around you for a last party, drink your cocktail, go to sleep while they sing you out? Or at least let you know they love you, hug you, and give permission.
Buy two copies of this book. One for you, and one for your doctor! The more you know, the less frightening it will be.
I have read, through the years, several books on death and dying, from Dr. Sherwin Nuland’s, How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter to Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, and several in between.
Death is something all persons born of woman will go through. If you are one who believes people should suffer as they die for atonement purposes, this may not be the book for you. But if you or a loved one are facing death, and you, or they, wish to be in control without making a bloody mess with a shotgun in the basement, then read this book.
Ms. Hannig is a trained anthropologist, and spent time living in Oregon, researched their right to die laws and spent a great deal of time in both Oregon and Washington interviewing people who wanted to, and were preparing to, Die with Dignity. She attended several deaths, with permission, and interviewed survivors. She has compassion and empathy for both sides of the story. Her writing is accessible, gentle, sensitive, and informative.
I believe the art of dying should be part of the required curriculum in Medical Schools. Doctors want to keep us alive at all costs, when in fact, many people would prefer a good death. Why be forced to stay alive in a drug induced state when one is not able to function? Why not be able to have friends and family around you for a last party, drink your cocktail, go to sleep while they sing you out? Or at least let you know they love you, hug you, and give permission.
Buy two copies of this book. One for you, and one for your doctor! The more you know, the less frightening it will be.
July 10, 2024
Such an informative read and definitely a topic that is so controversial here in the US. I appreciate that the author followed many different folks through their journeys with "Dying with Dignity" as well as followed the volunteers who help the people seeking this and their families during a difficult time.
May 10, 2022
The Day I Die is an extremely intimate and vulnerable look into why one may elect to end one’s own life via a medically assisted death. Through her evidently extensive research, Hannig brings life to policy and communicates the value in emically understanding those directly impacted by medically assisted death legislation. In her beautiful prose, Hannig paints a vivid picture of each of her informants’ experiences with insufferable pain, in both the physical sense for her informants with terminal diagnoses and in the psychological sense for the grief suffered by individuals closest to those opting to have a medically assisted death (family, friends, partners, etc.). Hannig’s ability to redefine care helps readers acknowledge any personal discomfort with death and dying and illuminates our societal obsession with extending life without limit. The accessible language allows any individual, those with preconceived notions about medically assisted death, or those who are first being introduced to the subject through Hannig’s book, to learn about this contested topic. I would recommend this book to anyone as the humanity conveyed on each and every page will indelibly impact all readers.
May 25, 2022
The Day I Die provides a raw, honest, and compassionate exploration of assisted dying. Hannig discusses topics that are often taboo, intimidating, and uncomfortable, creating space for important conversations about death and dying that we tend to avoid. While books like Being Mortal and When Breath Becomes Air have begun opening the door to these discussions of death and dying, they primarily provide medical perspectives. In addition to discussing the medical intricacies of assisted dying, Hannig highlights social and cultural factors that affect the process of pursuing an assisted death. With our highly medicalized approach to death in the US, this social perspective is an important addition to the conversation.
February 16, 2024
This is a topic I was unfamiliar with and had never spent time considering. While it is extremely depressing and hard to listen to for longer periods of time...it was informative and well done. I have a new understanding and appreciation for what these health care professionals and volunteers have been trying to provide for others.
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August 22, 2022Captured over five years of studying assisted dying, this intimate book tells the stories of the patients, nurses, and activists close to the cause of “dying with dignity.” Get to know the people who planned their deaths and invited family members to attend—and the ones whose family members disagreed with their decision. It’s powerful and sure to spark some much needed conversations.
Full disclosure that I worked on this book, but I promise this rec would come even if I didn’t have a hand in its production.
✨ From Embrace Life with These Books about Death Positivity at Crooked Reads.
Full disclosure that I worked on this book, but I promise this rec would come even if I didn’t have a hand in its production.
✨ From Embrace Life with These Books about Death Positivity at Crooked Reads.
March 6, 2022
Death is never an easy subject to discuss, especially in the United States where it’s become somewhat taboo. With the advance of life extending medical procedures we’ve seen the decline of home deaths, and now many imagine death to be something that happens mostly in medical facilities. Hanning has taken her skills as an anthropologist and used them to give an intimate look into how people with terminal illnesses are taking control of the ends of their lives with medically assisted death.
In the most respectful way possible we are introduced to a variety of people with terminal illnesses and their families, as well as physicians and volunteers who give them aid, and get to see how they navigate the process to procure medically assisted death in states where it’s been legalized. The process is lengthy, with waiting periods and very specific requirements for those who are eligible, but there are still many opponents that don’t believe it should be legal regardless of what safeguards are put in place. As we follow each terminally-ill person’s story we get a glimpse at how having the option to cease prolonged suffering on their own terms can dramatically improve the quality of their end of life and how the grief of loved ones who were participants in the process was effected.
I think most people would benefit from reading this book. Due to the subject matter it may be difficult to read, but opening up the discussions around death is helpful for everyone regardless of their age and any prognoses.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
In the most respectful way possible we are introduced to a variety of people with terminal illnesses and their families, as well as physicians and volunteers who give them aid, and get to see how they navigate the process to procure medically assisted death in states where it’s been legalized. The process is lengthy, with waiting periods and very specific requirements for those who are eligible, but there are still many opponents that don’t believe it should be legal regardless of what safeguards are put in place. As we follow each terminally-ill person’s story we get a glimpse at how having the option to cease prolonged suffering on their own terms can dramatically improve the quality of their end of life and how the grief of loved ones who were participants in the process was effected.
I think most people would benefit from reading this book. Due to the subject matter it may be difficult to read, but opening up the discussions around death is helpful for everyone regardless of their age and any prognoses.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
April 10, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. Dying is not a comfortable topic, but it is a necessary discussion. So often we only focus on living and how we wish to accomplish things during our life but neglect to discuss what we would like our end to look like. Anita Hannig does an excellent job easing the unease that most would feel when discussing a topic such as medical aid in dying. There were points in this book where I cried, where I had to sit and stare into the distance for a minute to process my own feelings, and where I felt utterly heartbroken. I will make it no secret, I support medical aid in dying- we spend our whole lives protecting autonomy until we get to the topic of dying and then we are no longer allowed to make our own decisions. This has never sat well with me. Who am I to make someone suffer longer than they wish to? I think Anita does an excellent job showing the entirety of the death with dignity movement and its opposition. I also love the plethora of sources she included in her work for those who are interested in further reading.
I absolutely loved this book. Dying is not a comfortable topic, but it is a necessary discussion. So often we only focus on living and how we wish to accomplish things during our life but neglect to discuss what we would like our end to look like. Anita Hannig does an excellent job easing the unease that most would feel when discussing a topic such as medical aid in dying. There were points in this book where I cried, where I had to sit and stare into the distance for a minute to process my own feelings, and where I felt utterly heartbroken. I will make it no secret, I support medical aid in dying- we spend our whole lives protecting autonomy until we get to the topic of dying and then we are no longer allowed to make our own decisions. This has never sat well with me. Who am I to make someone suffer longer than they wish to? I think Anita does an excellent job showing the entirety of the death with dignity movement and its opposition. I also love the plethora of sources she included in her work for those who are interested in further reading.
June 6, 2022
While only in my 30s and not making end-of-life plans just yet, I feel empowered and more open-minded by what I've learned here. This book is a beautiful, informative, and compassionate look into a taboo topic in the United States, and genuinely just a great read. I learned so much from each chapter, while the stories had me turning page after page. I found myself crying, shocked, and at times happy for the real-life characters facing incredible challenges and tough decisions. Hannig's writing took me right into the rooms of patients considering Death with Dignity as an end of life choice, giving me a clear and intimate picture of the emotion, thought, and deep considerations that go into these choices, something I had not thought about much before. If you're looking for an interesting and engaging read with information you won't come by in your day-to-day, do yourself a favor and read this book!
June 29, 2022
I devoured this, it’s so nice to read an ethnographic book that is not laden with extraneous theory. I do think there could have been a little more specific anthropology in there, but I’m a trained academic and that’s not the audience. I really appreciate Hannig’s ability to tell the stories of these individuals and families. This is an important subject and it is well-written and compelling. Most importantly, it represents to non academics the importance of an anthropological perspective.
June 30, 2022
This book is about death, yes, but it is also about love. The love of family and friends who help their loved one do that last thing with their life. It seems to me a profoundly compassionate thing to let someone choose their own terms.
May 19, 2022
An extraordinary and important book. Highly recommend.
June 25, 2024
I just finished the book and all I can say is “wow”!!! 🤯 I believe anyone working in healthcare should be required to read this. But if I’m being honest, EVERYONE should read this book!!! Being a nurse, I have strong feelings about suffering at the end of life. I am an advocate for hospice and palliative care when appropriate. I have held the hand of a dying person countless times, and supported families during and after a patient’s death. So it was interesting to learn more about assisted dying and everything that process entails. Especially the “planning” aspect of it. I truly think it allows for more control and eases grief of family members, as it is planned. There is still grief and sadness and feelings of loss, but planning a death date really allows for closure.
I went into this book with the nursing/medical background and knowledge, but I live in Ohio so we don’t have assisted dying laws. So I have limited experience and knowledge with assisted dying (laws, process, etc). Honestly, I went into this book with some vague knowledge about Dr Kevorkian from a college class like 12 years ago, and that’s about it. I will say I was surprised his name was not mentioned in this book, given that he is “known for” supporting physician-assisted suicide (unless I totally missed him being mentioned/referenced in the book - so please correct me).
I was also surprised at the emotion in this book. The prologue brought me to tears, and that wasn’t the only time. There were many emotional moments in this book, so it made the content even more impactful. The way specific person’s stories were told and their experience with the laws and process and death really hammered home the impact these laws can have on a person’s life.
I am thankful for The Morbidly Curious Book Club, as this isn’t a book I would have picked up on my own. This was a very impactful read and I’m definitely going to be recommending it every chance I get!!
I went into this book with the nursing/medical background and knowledge, but I live in Ohio so we don’t have assisted dying laws. So I have limited experience and knowledge with assisted dying (laws, process, etc). Honestly, I went into this book with some vague knowledge about Dr Kevorkian from a college class like 12 years ago, and that’s about it. I will say I was surprised his name was not mentioned in this book, given that he is “known for” supporting physician-assisted suicide (unless I totally missed him being mentioned/referenced in the book - so please correct me).
I was also surprised at the emotion in this book. The prologue brought me to tears, and that wasn’t the only time. There were many emotional moments in this book, so it made the content even more impactful. The way specific person’s stories were told and their experience with the laws and process and death really hammered home the impact these laws can have on a person’s life.
I am thankful for The Morbidly Curious Book Club, as this isn’t a book I would have picked up on my own. This was a very impactful read and I’m definitely going to be recommending it every chance I get!!
June 9, 2022
From the very moment this unexpectedly compelling book begins, I felt engaged with the voice of a faithful and comprehensive witness and informant to lead me through the laws, the obstacles and opportunities of assisted dying in America as we know (or don't know) it.
Compellingly, Anita Hannig has clearly been a keen witness in her years devoted to this subject, with such remarkable people seeking an assisted "good" death - in spirit, style, acceptance, personal agency, and timing of their own choosing - all in the very face of terminal suffering, and unretrievable vitality. None of this is easy, as many are learning, and as I'd learned personally in my experience in the tortuous uncontrollable final days for my beloved partner, who passed within hospice and immediate family care, but beyond the point of communion, clarity, and tolerable pain. This book looked compassionately into an expanded sense of possibility, that I'd want for anyone to be able enact.
"The Day I Die" to me, gives promising and humane attention to our need to actively refine these well intended, but limiting, and for many, inaccessible laws that have mercy, choice, and human dignity at their core. These laws are works in progress, as this book so informatively and movingly teaches through the examples of its very real characters. The caregivers, physicians, self-selected guides, volunteers and participants devoted to this noble, and often mistakenly maligned work need to be illuminated by just such a book as this. It is encouraging in the highest sense. Ms. Hannig took me there, breathing life into a book that belongs in all our personal libraries. I highly recommend this deep and necessary read.
Compellingly, Anita Hannig has clearly been a keen witness in her years devoted to this subject, with such remarkable people seeking an assisted "good" death - in spirit, style, acceptance, personal agency, and timing of their own choosing - all in the very face of terminal suffering, and unretrievable vitality. None of this is easy, as many are learning, and as I'd learned personally in my experience in the tortuous uncontrollable final days for my beloved partner, who passed within hospice and immediate family care, but beyond the point of communion, clarity, and tolerable pain. This book looked compassionately into an expanded sense of possibility, that I'd want for anyone to be able enact.
"The Day I Die" to me, gives promising and humane attention to our need to actively refine these well intended, but limiting, and for many, inaccessible laws that have mercy, choice, and human dignity at their core. These laws are works in progress, as this book so informatively and movingly teaches through the examples of its very real characters. The caregivers, physicians, self-selected guides, volunteers and participants devoted to this noble, and often mistakenly maligned work need to be illuminated by just such a book as this. It is encouraging in the highest sense. Ms. Hannig took me there, breathing life into a book that belongs in all our personal libraries. I highly recommend this deep and necessary read.
February 10, 2025
Assisted dying is a topic that elicits varying reactions from people depending on viewpoints, religious beliefs, and experiences. Author Anita Hannig presents this important and sensitive topic through her research and interviews with individuals (and some family members/partners/friends) who decided on assisted dying, physicians, hospice workers, volunteers and many more. While assisted dying is currently legal in nine states and the District of Columbia in the United States, there are legal restrictions that make it sometimes difficult for those who choose assisted dying to do so. There are also a handful of countries where assisted dying is legal, with similar restrictions, Switzerland being the first to permit it in 1942. This book shares information, background, insights into the individuals who chose assisted dying and why, as well as how they have to navigate the world of assisted dying. This book was interesting, informative and, well written. I definitely recommend it. Another book to check out is In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom.
August 10, 2025
One thing is true: an assisted death is not the easy way out. Hastening the end of your life is an act of will that demands improbable courage. It means accepting the hard truth of your mortality and walking toward death with clear, open eyes.
The option of assisted dying should be talk more and stop being consider as a taboo or something horrible. I can see all sides from the medical professionals, the family members and the person who wants to die this way.
Death is a hard topic but If I was in a similar situation from those people the author was part of their decision process, I don't blame them. If I had the choice I would had done the same thing, one thing is to be here in a body that is failing you, can't even enjoy the things that made you YOU or even have a good pain-free day with your family... that's not living that sounds like hell.
Here are some books mentioned that I want to read later:
● Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
● Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors by Susan Sontag
● The Modern Art of Dying: A History of Euthanasia in the United States by Shai J. Lavi
● In Search of Gentle Death: The Fight for Your Right to Die With Dignity by Richard N. Côté
● The Case against Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care by Kathleen M. Foley MD
● Dying with Dignity: A Legal Approach to Assisted Death by Giza Lopes
● Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care by Nicholas A. Christakis
● Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich
The option of assisted dying should be talk more and stop being consider as a taboo or something horrible. I can see all sides from the medical professionals, the family members and the person who wants to die this way.
Death is a hard topic but If I was in a similar situation from those people the author was part of their decision process, I don't blame them. If I had the choice I would had done the same thing, one thing is to be here in a body that is failing you, can't even enjoy the things that made you YOU or even have a good pain-free day with your family... that's not living that sounds like hell.
Here are some books mentioned that I want to read later:
● Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
● Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors by Susan Sontag
● The Modern Art of Dying: A History of Euthanasia in the United States by Shai J. Lavi
● In Search of Gentle Death: The Fight for Your Right to Die With Dignity by Richard N. Côté
● The Case against Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care by Kathleen M. Foley MD
● Dying with Dignity: A Legal Approach to Assisted Death by Giza Lopes
● Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care by Nicholas A. Christakis
● Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich
June 30, 2024
This beautiful book is about a subject that everyone should discuss: death, and how we die. While each of us wants to be the exception to the rule and not have to face our own death, it doesn’t work that way.
The author gives the background to the right to die / assisted dying movement - it’s over a century old. She interviews doctors, hospice volunteers, advocates, and patients and their family members. It’s clear the author is in favor of assisted dying but she doesn’t browbeat the reader.
There are far more problems to assisted dying than I realized. Not only are there lots of restrictions that can prevent patients from qualifying, but the most effective drugs are no longer available (the European manufacturers pulled them because they were being used for executions). That means doctors are trying to find what works best, and there are no guidelines. There’s a horrifying story of a patient who not only didn’t die, but who woke up confused and desperate.
When an assisted death is successful, it’s beautiful - the patient, embracing the end to pain and suffering, surrounded by family and friends, and dying peacefully. What we need to achieve that is a federal law allowing assisted dying, a change in the requirements (people with neurodegenerative diseases and dementia don’t qualify), and more helpful timelines.
This is a book that everyone should absolutely read. It’s important to every person.
The author gives the background to the right to die / assisted dying movement - it’s over a century old. She interviews doctors, hospice volunteers, advocates, and patients and their family members. It’s clear the author is in favor of assisted dying but she doesn’t browbeat the reader.
There are far more problems to assisted dying than I realized. Not only are there lots of restrictions that can prevent patients from qualifying, but the most effective drugs are no longer available (the European manufacturers pulled them because they were being used for executions). That means doctors are trying to find what works best, and there are no guidelines. There’s a horrifying story of a patient who not only didn’t die, but who woke up confused and desperate.
When an assisted death is successful, it’s beautiful - the patient, embracing the end to pain and suffering, surrounded by family and friends, and dying peacefully. What we need to achieve that is a federal law allowing assisted dying, a change in the requirements (people with neurodegenerative diseases and dementia don’t qualify), and more helpful timelines.
This is a book that everyone should absolutely read. It’s important to every person.
April 7, 2024
I couldn't put this down.
This feels so essential.
Hannig details her first-hand experience with assisted dying as a hospice volunteer and there is so much in this book to process.
Written with so much compassion, this book takes us along with patients who are nearing death, many of whom are pursuing the fatal drugs that will allow them to have a choice in their own deaths after a fatal diagnosis.
There are very few states in the US that allow assisted dying, and this book details how the different laws regarding assisted dying can be complex and prohibitive, as well as access to certain medications that can be used in the process.
In America we often look at death as the enemy, as something to avoid. Many people are uncomfortable even mentioning, let alone speaking in detail, about death. The author explains that in order that more discussion and the normalization of death needs to take place in order for society to be overall more compassionate and hopefully allow for more choices regarding our own deaths in our final days.
This feels so essential.
Hannig details her first-hand experience with assisted dying as a hospice volunteer and there is so much in this book to process.
Written with so much compassion, this book takes us along with patients who are nearing death, many of whom are pursuing the fatal drugs that will allow them to have a choice in their own deaths after a fatal diagnosis.
There are very few states in the US that allow assisted dying, and this book details how the different laws regarding assisted dying can be complex and prohibitive, as well as access to certain medications that can be used in the process.
In America we often look at death as the enemy, as something to avoid. Many people are uncomfortable even mentioning, let alone speaking in detail, about death. The author explains that in order that more discussion and the normalization of death needs to take place in order for society to be overall more compassionate and hopefully allow for more choices regarding our own deaths in our final days.
June 11, 2022
Hannig demonstrates how preferring to end one's life when only debilitating physical and emotional misery and despair lie ahead is often a radical act of courage for patients and their loved ones.
When such individuals and families are finally able to pursue the logistics of proceeding with such an option, the path ahead is fraught with political and social struggle, challenging many cultural assumptions around this controversial topic.
No one wants to confront the topic of human mortality, let alone the intentional expediting of the process. However, Hannig engages us in the research and humanity behind this misunderstood phenomenon in a tender and measured way; her book opens our eyes to what it means to allow dignity through choice with assisted dying. Highly, highly recommend.
When such individuals and families are finally able to pursue the logistics of proceeding with such an option, the path ahead is fraught with political and social struggle, challenging many cultural assumptions around this controversial topic.
No one wants to confront the topic of human mortality, let alone the intentional expediting of the process. However, Hannig engages us in the research and humanity behind this misunderstood phenomenon in a tender and measured way; her book opens our eyes to what it means to allow dignity through choice with assisted dying. Highly, highly recommend.
June 27, 2024
Anthropologist Anita Hannig studies assisted deaths in America and those who seek them out and why some oppose them.
From a death positive perspective I think every person should read this book. It's beautifully written, incredibly informative, and filled with passion for the subject matter.
Allowing someone a choice at the end is just another example of a good death.
From a death positive perspective I think every person should read this book. It's beautifully written, incredibly informative, and filled with passion for the subject matter.
Allowing someone a choice at the end is just another example of a good death.
June 23, 2024
Incredible. Harrowing and insightful. Gives you stories (both successful and unsuccessful) of assisted deaths and breaks up the emotional toll by sprinkling politics and scientific insight throughout. Great book, will recommend.
February 11, 2024
A very interesting read about the right to die movement. I loved how the personal stories/experiences highlight the many different challenges people face when it comes to assisted dying.
June 22, 2024
We need more books like this talked about and shared to educate. I’ve always been a supporter of the bill, but since working in the hospital bed side and seeing pain in my patients eyes and their desperation and pleads to let them go breaks my heart.
This book was very well done and researched.
This book was very well done and researched.
July 10, 2024
For those already familiar with the subject matter, this book doesn't provide much new content. I did appreciate the real-life stories (the good, the bad, and the ugly) including discussions with family members of those who chose assisted death. The book did a good job of touching on the most important ethical/legal topics relating to MAID. However, I did think it took unnecessarily negative/biased attitudes towards other places where one might find themselves at the end of life (hospitals, care facilities, for example) in order to bolster an argument for MAID.
October 28, 2024
Can I give this 6 stars? Such a raw, important book. Everyone needs to read this.
May 30, 2025
Very thought provoking. A bit repetitive at times.
December 20, 2023
An insightful and personal look at physician-assisted suicide through the lens of the people who have experienced it. This was an interesting follow up to the essay collection “Regulating How We Die,” which I read earlier this year, just less philosophical and definitely more approachable for those interested in the topic from a non-academic standpoint.
August 19, 2024
Everyone needs to read this book. We're all dying but yet we refuse to talk about it. This is a topic I feel passionately about so I recognize my bias but I love that the author really immersed herself in the world and lives of the terminally ill and their families as part of her research. She is able to tell their stories without being exploitative. Very thoughtfully researched and told from a personal perspective.
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