Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America

by William H. Colby

The time has come for a frank discussion about how we die. Unplugged is the blueprint for that talk. Medical technology has helped mankind conquer tuberculosis, polio, and countless other once certain-death diseases. It has given us hope against cancer and AIDS, allowed heart and brain surgeries that have saved untold numbers of lives, and delivered us from the pain and crippling legacy of injury. Medical technology, it seems, is a never-ending string of miracles. But it is also a double-edged sword. More often than not, death today happens because of a decision to stop doing something, or to not do it at all. As the tragic life and death of Terri Schiavo so poignantly illustrated, universal definitions of life, death, nature, and many other concepts are elusive at best. Unplugged addresses the fundamental questions of the right-to-die debate, and discusses how the medical advances that bring so much hope and healing have also helped to create today's dilemma. This compelling book explores recent high-profile cases, including that of Mrs. Schiavo, and illuminates the complex legal, ethical, medical, and deeply personal issues of a debate that ultimately affects us all. Compassionate and beautifully written, the book helps readers understand the implications of current laws and proposed legislation, various medical options (including hospice), and the typical end-of-life decisions we all must face in order to make informed decisions for ourselves and our loved ones.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2005

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In law school, I took a class called Bioethics and the Law. Everything I learned (and more) in that class about this topic is summarized nicely in this book. I believe strongly in a right to die humanely (not just for the terminally ill—but that’s a topic best left somewhere besides a book review). This book does an excellent job summarizing and analyzing the law in a way for non-lawyers to easily digest and think about. Highly recommend.

[Christy ofthewoods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information, incredible stories, no force of opinions. Excellent book.

[Nila Pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book and then get a DPOA for you medical and finances

[Madi Banyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my Senior Capstone Research Project I was told to pick a nonfiction book about my topic of Physician Assisted Suicide. I came upon this book and was fascinated with all the information it contained. While we mostly associate nonfiction books with boring and just purely information, I found that this book actually contained stories making it a very easy read. I was able to read this book with no problem all the while learning about a topic I am to write a research paper on. This book contains all the information you could want on Physician Assisted Suicide plus more. I was able to read about the becoming of this controversial topic as it has been that way since the beginning. The book starts by describing Terri Schiavo’s case in which she suffered a cardiac arrest which medical personnel were able to bring her body back from. However, Terri never came back. She was diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state meaning Terri’s body was living but Terri, as a person, wasn’t actually there. The book continues with the legal venture about her case and we are able to learn of the complications Terri’s husband had to go through with her parents and the court about removing Terri’s feeding tube. Eventually, the feeding tube was removed and the controversial topic of physician assisted suicide became present to the public and media. Upon reading this story I was able to learn of the struggles this debate can cause among families, the court, and the people of the United States. I believe Physician Assisted Suicide is ethical and this book did not sway my opinion the slightest, rather intensifying it. I don’t believe that we should keep someone’s body with us if their mind is not here with us too. Overall, this book was very interesting and very informative.

[Bob Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by the lawyer who represented, among other clients relevant to this subject, Nancy Cruzan’s family in a right-to-die case before the Supreme Court. Despite his familiarity with many technical and legal arguments on the matter, he keeps this book’s required level of expertise to an accessible level. His style moves the book steadily along and is enjoyable enough. This book spends ample time going over the specific case histories of prominent people in the field such as the Schindlers and Schiavos, the Cruzan, and Kevorkian, charting the personal disagreements and legal battles they fought. It also covers the history of end-of-life medicine, especially including feeding tubes (and their status as medical aid in and of themselves) and emergency life-saving techniques such and CPR and defibrillation. The best part of the book comes in Colby’s discussion of things such as living wills and medical powers of attorney, which seem to be his forte. He puts more stock in the latter than in the former, but points out that states are not uniform in their approach to them: for example, not all states allow someone with medical power of attorney to decide what to do with a feeding tube unless specifically stated in the document. The book overall is decent, not great, though is a quick read and a good conversation starter.

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by the lawyer who fought to let Nancy Cruzan die, and that has given him a unique perspective on dying, death, and the transition from one to the other. Altho the book starts with a blow-by-blow account of Terry Schiavo's dying and death, it then segues into the serious questions: How do you want to die? Where? How much do you want done or not done along the way? When would you want to stop?

Not surprisingly, he offers no answers. But he does share his personal decisions, and why he made them, in the hope of getting you, the reader, to start thinking about what you would decide. Ultimately he hopes you'll not only think about what you would want, but will also share those desires. (Speaking personally as a nurse, about half my patients have made decisions of some sort, but only a very few have actually communicated those decisions. If nothing else, this book should stimulate some terribly important discussions.)

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be mandatory for everyone. It's so thoughtful and NOT dogmatic in discussing end-of-life issues that affect us ALL. Plus, it's very well written. The title, however, might make you think that Colby is pushing for physician assisted suicide, or that he's perched at the outer limits of current thought on the subject. He's only "out there" in the sense that he's written this book (and spent the better part of his life) directly addressing an aspect of living that our society is pathologically in denial about. I bet everyone who reads this feels like they've added a rich layer to their consciences. What a good book.

[Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good look at a myriad of topics surrounding death, from quality of life considerations, physician assisted suicide, creating a living will/appointing healthcare decision proxies, religious perspectives, concerns from disability advocates, conerns over eugenics and right to life situations, it goes on and on. I really want to read a more modern take as this book references laws and situations specifically up to its publication in 2006. Even with the caveat that it is "out of date", this book was a really intereting one for me, and it forced me to consider some things I hadn't up to this point.

[Shea Mastison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, it is difficult to plug a book written by a lawyer about death--however this is a fascinating and well-written piece. Although I may disagree with some of his stances: his fear of euthanasia (which I am for) and his fear of eugenics (which I am for, if voluntarily practiced); his book raises some interesting and timely questions about death and how our society deals with it.
How you live is important. How you die is important too.

[Melissa Dally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-researched and important book. Talk to your loved ones about dying. Do it now. You never know what's going to happen. Appoint somebody as your health care proxy and maybe a backup or two. Make sure they know what you'd want.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thought-provoking. Everyone should read this book!