Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying

by Derek Humphry

As the legal controversy continues—this newly revised and updated third edition of the landmark bestseller contains new, critically important information for patients, loved ones, and medical personnel.

The original publication of Final Exit stunned the nation by offering people with terminal illness a choice on how—and when—to end their suffering. It helped thousands by giving clear instructions to doctors, nurses, and families on how to handle a patient's request for euthanasia.

In the wake of court cases and legislative mandates, this revised and updated third edition goes far beyond the original to provide new information about the legality of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and a thoughtful examination of the personal issues involved. It has become the essential source to help loved ones and supportive doctors remain within existing laws and keep a person's dying intimate, private, and dignified.

With deep compassion and sensitivity, it spells out why a living will may not be sufficient to have a person's wishes carried out—and what document is a better alternative. It updates where to get proper drugs and exactly how to carry out the quickest, most peaceful way to make a final exit. Finally, it gently talks to a person considering self-deliverance about alternatives, planning, and the means to make every death a "good death" at our time of greatest need.

Genres: Nonfiction, Death, Psychology, Self Help, Banned Books, Health, Medical

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Derek Humphry was a British and American journalist and author notable as a proponent of legal assisted suicide and the right to die. In 1980, he co-founded the Hemlock Society and, in 2004, after that organization dissolved, he co-founded Final Exit Network. From 1988 to 1990, he was president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies and was most recently the president of the Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization (ERGO).
He was the author of several related books, including Jean's Way (1978), The Right to Die: Understanding Euthanasia (1986), and Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying (1991).

Reviews

[Vonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was rather torn on my rating of this... I saw this book as, bluntly, a how-to book on suicide. With my personal attachment to the idea of suicide, I found it very bothersome that this book has been published (albeit, understandably, self-published). There are diagrams, step-by-step guides, tips, etc. on various methods to commit suicide- i.e., his recommended "Nitrogen + Bag" method, to "use cash" when purchasing items so as to "not leave a trail", that it is "absolutely imperative to stay silent" if someone has to assist in a suicide, to "not volunteer any information to any investigator"... "Let them do the investigating", that one should use two vehicles in the situation of death by carbon monoxide (in case one dies)... he provides many examples of the best barbiturates to use, which medications to not use (due to past failures), where one can get these in various countries, what their names are in foreign countries, how to find a doctor that may assist, how to ask, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. You have the picture?

Yes, this is supposed to be a guide, as he states several times in italics and/or capital letters throughout the text, for (Only) individuals with terminal illness... physical death that is explicitly inevitable within in the next several months- not to be used for anyone simply wanting to "check out" of life. But... really... let's be honest- suicidal people with psychiatric illnesses can easily use this as a how-to manual, despite this so-called instruction, which is clearly there for legal reasons...

The reason I am conflicted is because, I am not unwilling to admit, a supporter of assisted suicide/euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide/self-deliverance... but, yes, only for those with undeniably incurable unbearable pain and/or terminal diagnoses. With the way the laws are right now (aside from Oregon), this is, in a way, necessary for those who want to end their lives but cannot seek assistance from a professional. On the same note, if it were legalized in this country, as it has been in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc, this manual would not be necessary... leaving it off the shelves & out of the hands of suicidal people with no terminal diagnoses.

I also believe that if someone really wanted to commit suicide, for whatever reason, they would be able to find a way via the internet, friends, research, etc. to do so. Also, most suicides due to psychiatric diagnoses involve an ambivalent person, looking for a way out, but also wanting someone to save them. This book, therefore, simply makes it easier for said individuals to execute their rightfully-ambivalent plan. This is certainly not a good thing.

In conclusion? I'm not sure how I feel about the widespread availability of these tips on committing suicide, but I do see both sides of the argument. Ideally, euthanasia would be legalized, this book would not be available/needed, & everyone would win. That being said, it was informative & an intriguing read.

[KamRun · Rating 3 out of 5]

خروج نهایی: راهنمای به‌مرگی

کتاب برای آن دسته از بیمارانی نوشته شده که از بیماری‌های دردناک و لاعلاج رنج می‌برند و خواهان انجام به‌مرگی به شیوه‌ای خانگی هستند. نویسنده پیش از این همسر بیمار خود را در به‌مرگی با خوراندن دارو همراهی کرده و پس از آن، برای به رسمیت شناختن حق مرگ تلاش‌های زیادی کرده است. هرچند هدف کتاب کمک به بیماران برای انجام به‌مرگی است، اما مشخصا کتاب می‌تواند به عنوان دستورالعملی برای خودکشی فرد سالم مورد استفاده قرار گیرد و از این لحاظ نقدهای زیادی به کتاب وارد شده است. کتاب در بسیاری از موارد، بخصوص در معرفی متدها قرابت زیادی با کتا.بچه راهنمای خود.کشی آسان دارد، با این تفاوت که آن کتاب به مراتب دقیق‌تر، سنجیده‌تر و گستره‌تر هم به فلسفه‌ی اتانازی و هم به معرفی روش‌های کار پرداخته است.

نویسنده پس از ذکر مقدمه‌ای کوتاه در باب تصمیم‌گیری درباره‌ی انجام اتانازی و مسائل قانونی، به تقسیم‌بندی روش‌های گوناگون پرداخته و در مورد هر روش به‌طور اجمالی توضیحاتی داده است. سپس با ارائه یک چک لیست به مواردی اشاره کرده است که به‌هیچ عنوان نباید از نگاه متقاضی به‌مرگی مورد غفلت قرار بگیرد، از جمله اینکه به‌مرگی به صورتی انجام پذیرد که جان فرد یابنده به‌خطر نیفتد (مثلا ظرف شیشه‌ای حاوی پتاسیم سیانید بلافاصله پس از سرکشیده شدن خالی و شکسته شود و فرد تنها 15 ثانیه تا قبل از بیهوشی برای این عمل فرصت دارد) و یا موادری مثل نامه‌ی خداحافظی ( که در تسلی بازماندگان نقش مهمی ایفا می‌کند) یا وصیت‌نامه ( که از پیش آمدن مشکلات حقوقی برای ورثه جلوگیری می‌کند) و مواردی از این قبیل.

کتاب به جز ارائه متدولوژی انجام اتانازی و توصیه‌های لازم، در چند فصل جداگانه به موارد مهمی اشاره می‌کند که برایم جالب بود. یکی از این فصول، خروج دوبل، اتانازی خانوادگی بود. نویسنده در این بخش با ذکر مواردی به خودکشی‌هایی اشاره می‌کند که طی آن، زوج‌ها با همراهی یکدیگر دست به اتانازی زده‌اند. این مورد عموما در حالت‌های رخ می‌دهد که یکی از زوجین از بیماری رنج می‌برد و دیگری از روی علاقه او را در این سفر آخر همراهی می‌کند. در تاریخ معاصر، دو زوج بسیار معروف با این روش به زندگی خود پایان دادند: آرتور کستلر و همسرش (نویسنده‌ی کتاب‌هایی چون گفتگو با مرگ و ظلمت در نیمروز و خانم و آقای ون دوزن از رهبران بزرگ کلیسای پروتستان آمریکا.

هرچند کتاب به فارسی ترجمه نشده ، اما به علت قرار گرفتن عنوانش در مدخل خودکشی ویکی‌پدیا، به نظر می‌رسد از آمار جستجوی بالایی برخوردار باشد. در این مورد باید ذکر کرد که اتانازی از اساس با خودکشی تفاوت دارد و این کتاب هم برای اتانازی نوشته شده و نه خودکشی. نویسنده در قسمت‌های مختلف کتاب بارها به این موضوع اشاره کرده است. از جمله در چک‌لیستِ پیشنهادیی اقدامات نهایی، اولین مورد این است: فرد اطمینان حاصل کند که از لحاظ پزشکی در مرحله قطع امید قرار گرفته و همچنین تصمیم‌گیری او تحت تاثیر داروهای مصرفی و افسردگی نباشد

دیگر کتب پیشنهادی در این زمینه:اتانازی: به‌مرگی و چالش‌های آن

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why am I rating a book on assisted suicide so highly?

Because this is not a book about death. It's a book about life.

It doesn't attempt to answer questions for you even though it states an opinion. It only prompts you to ask various questions of yourself.

What is life?

Who's job is it to value it?

There are many questions worth answering and while Humphries does not pretend to be the purveyor of all of the answers on the subject, he'll definitely get you to thinking whether you agree with him or not.

If you're open-minded, you can read it and gain from it even if you decide, in the end of the book, to disagree for whatever reasons you have.

I recommend it to everyone but as a parent, be informed that it does describe a method of taking one's own life. Bear in mind, however, that this is not the focus of the book.

Somberly informative.

--Wag--

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm an oncology nurse who has taken care of many patients on hospice and I thought this book would be interesting...and it was. I live in a state where physician assisted suicide is illegal. Some of the information in this book was new to me and I'm grateful to be informed. I am for assisted suicide and having seen hundreds of patients suffer, I wish it was legal in every state. The author is very bold and detailed about dignified death, if you can't handle that, I wouldn't recommend you read this. He doesn't sugarcoat anything. Even though the author repeats himself a lot, it was a good book.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A prediction: Whether an American state has legalized physician aid-in-dying will become a significant factor in choosing where to retire.

The baby boom generation gave rise to books like "Our Bodies, Our Selves." We lived through the advent of the birth control pill. Many of us are mystics and/or agnostics. We are accustomed to living with self-advocacy and self-determination. When it comes to dying, which is a task ahead for each and every one of us, we are not going to be inclined to simply cast the dice. Until Physician Aid in Dying is legally available to everyone, even non-terminal crones and geezers, we will be seeking information on DIY options. This book is very useful for anyone who doesn't want to linger around as a suffering burden on family and society whilst our quality of life is in the pits and we might as well be dead already.

A botched self-deliverance is as bad as a botched abortion. Get it wrong and your final bow may be strung out by lying around half-dead, running up hospital bills and imposing angst on everyone. No one wants a bloody or violent death either, accidental or otherwise. We'd all like to go out peacefully with loved ones nearby, after having had some time to tie up loose ends and make amends in advance.

"Final Exit" will continue to be a necessary resource until the legal system and the general public come to grips with the realities of a planet's finite resources contrasted with the ability of the medical system to keep us alive long past our expiration dates (often against our wishes). Once we are collectively facing end-of-life issues with rational equanimity, rather than avoidance and grim dread, we can proceed to make DIY death-with-dignity books mere historical artifacts.

Until then, I recommend this book and also "The Peaceful Pill Handbook" for folks like me (an old hippie who still thinks the Age of Aquarius is eminently possible). I haven't given up on the peaceful revolution we started back in the 60's, and I still say "Keep your laws off my body." Peace Out.

[Hootkat † · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iv read it many times.
Im happy to say my major residence is in OR. A right to die state

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is the height of abhorrence that we treat our dying pets with more dignity and compassion than our dying loved ones!
Final Exit, published in 1991 is a dated, yet an historic expose of euthanasia alternatives at that time. Alternatives often violent, gruesome, and fraught with error, all due to spineless lawmakers and medical providers unwilling to respond with compassion.
Now, twenty-five years later, we have advanced little. An entire industry of prolonging death continues to evolve, with society complacently standing by.
It is shameful that the dying should be treated so inhumanly.

[Mary Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Exit was written for people that suffer from cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy, emphysema, congestive heart failure, stroke, AIDS and more. It says in the book that although suicide is not encouraged the book was written for people who suffer from a fatal or irreversible illness or intractable pain, someone who feels that their quality of life is unacceptable to them, or someone who may just feel that their future is hopeless.
Complete with recipes for death this book often reminds the person reading to put a plastic bag over their head after taking however many pills it tells you to take. It is also written to always leave this book beside you with a suicide note inside so no-one will think of your death as anything other than suicide. As far as I can tell there is not a person on earth that should have to live if they dont want to according to this book; it seems to cover everyone.
I do not think that taking a bunch of pills and placing a plastic bag over your head would be a good way to go, imagine convulsing around the room throwing up inside the bag on your head for a moment. Best to move to a state that allows assisted suicide. This is the book for the people that can not get the suicide pill.
Although this was a very interesting read and was written well, the content disturbs me.

[Sadra Kharrazi · Rating 2 out of 5]

کتابی حاوی مجموعه راه ها و به اصطلاح فنون خودکشی به همراه دردی که هر روش داره
با خوندن هر بخش کتاب شعر آذر تو ذهنم مرور میشد

خودکشی، مرگ قشنگی که به آن دل بستم
دست کم هر دو سه شب سیر به فکرش هستم

گاه و بیگاه پُر از پنجره های خطرم
به سَرم می زند این مرتبه حتما بپرم

گاه و بیگاه شقیقه ست و تفنگی که منم
قرص ماهی که تو باشی و پلنگی که منم

[Rejeev Divakaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was worried of getting bed ridden due to old age or illness. This is a fantastic book if you are thinking about how to end life if quality of life deteriorate (due to age, illness etc).

[Ottilee B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out in '91 as I am a BIG proponent of Right To Die. I see nothing wrong with it and believe FIRMLY that G accepts your soul to heaven on His timetable, not ours and therefore there's no such thing as 'Suicide'.

I've read quite a few of these books but Mr. Humphreys is the most intelligent by far. He gets right to the heart of helping yourself or someone else 'self-deliver' by mentioning how to do it, when is the correct time, and who to tell (or not). Paramount to me is explaining why you did this as people believe what they choose but, leaving a note leaves nothing to chance. (Although still people believe what they want: depression, etc.)

A truly, truly intelligent book, Mr. Humphreys. BRAVO!

[Alien Bookreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Not so bizarre, and a method for which I have respect, is freezing to death on a mountain. It takes a certain sort of person to want to die this way: having a love of and knowledge of mountains, determination, and the enduring courage to carry it off.”

This is a great book. How can I describe it? When you are faced with a serious decision and everyone in your life is too afraid to look you in the eyes when you discuss it, this book is like the good friend you need to have, who is not afraid to look you in the eyes and walk with you to the end.

Derek Humphry guides the reader to understanding options, gives direct and honest advice about successful suicide and gives occasional thoughts on death. It reminds you that this book was written by a sole author with his own subjective thoughts on death. (Some of his subjective thoughts include: Hanging oneself is always shocking and always an act of protest, dying in the mountains is a nice way to go, if you die in a hotel room you should leave a bigger tip for the staff , etc.)

It's like meeting with a wise friend over a cup of tea and sharing forbidden knowledge with each other. The kind of knowledge no one else wants to share with you. We should all be in charge of our deaths when the time comes, whether that means choosing a natural death or choosing the right time to orchestrate a Final Exit. I appreciate that this book gives everyone the knowledge they need to make the choice.

[Sunny]

Final Exit by Derek Humphrey
This read like a master's thesis on active euthanasia. It not pleasure reading, but it is informative. It frequently referenced suicide hotlines for "emotional" suicides, did not list nonprescription medication toxicities, and cautioned heavily against the use of nonprescription drug overdoses. It gave careful consideration to how loved ones will feel following a suicide, how to get affairs in order, and how to be absolved of legal responsibility should you br present when a nother persons suicides. There is also a chapter on Kevorkian and a section for doctors/nurses.

Why challenged? My guess? Well, obviously, this is a book about how to kill yourself. Although it is only meant to be used by terminally ill adults, it could theoretically be mis-used by depressives. Also, many object to euthanasia in any form, and would object to the book on moral grounds.

Research says: Promotes suicide

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased and read this book when it first came out in the 1990's. At the time, it was very controversial that this was even published, and I was always very supportive of all books controversial, all books that caused outrage.

The methods for committing suicide were quite varied as I recall. Eventually, this book was purged from my shelves, so I don't have it to look back at for all the details, but I remember that it gave enough information that it could be used by someone who did want to end their lives.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I watched a documentary on a guy named Gregg Gour who was dying of Aids and was using a method he read in this book to end his life, he spoke of it so many times in the documentary that I just had to read it...

[Bells · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my friends here, please do not worry about my having read this book! It is from a place of philosophical interest only. Those who know me well, will know that its an area of philosophy that interests me greatly and I certainly wouldn't be logging this if that was not my intention upon reading.

I believe this book will one day be extremely influential here in the UK, even more so than it is now. Its a subject we will simply HAVE to discuss at some point, as current laws and regulations can mean an extremely inhumane end. I am in favour of the legalisation personally.
Do not read this book via recommendation. It really is only something to be read by those who have an interest in the particular philosophy, or those who are terminally and painfully Ill. Also maybe for the consideration of medical professionals. If you know someone with mental health issues and you discover this book in their possession, do ask them about it and see if you can support in recovery as this CAN be a huge red flag, especially if secrecy is involved.

[shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t have a strong stance on the ethics of assisted suicide, but this book has given me horrible nightmares and I regret reading it

[Jef Sneider]

I can't recommend it, unless you are looking for ways to end your life. In that case, read it. It will help prevent costly and painful mistakes. It is actually disappointing to find out that there are really not that many "good" ways to kill yourself. Aside from the obvious and popular methods, it is a risky business.

A patient asked me for a note with his terminal diagnosis so that someone from the Final Exit web site could help him end his life. He told me about the book, but it turns out that he hadn't even read it yet!

I think doctors and Hospice can do a better job than this book allows making the end tolerable. Hang in there.

[J.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had everyone all up in arms when I was in high school, and when I finally got around to reading it, I thought, WTF? Really, why all the fuss? It doesn't give you tips on how to kill yourself or talk you into doing the deed.

Instead, it spends a lot of thought on terminal care, when the patient should choose an artificial end to life, and what procedures one must put into place before getting to that stage. I found it informative but not controversial.

[RETRODOLL · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was on a list of 'most controversial books ever written' or something like that. So naturally I wanted to take a peek at it. I have not read the entire thing (it's not that type of book I don't think) because it's more a 'guide/instructional manual. The instructions are not how to put together Ikea furniture either -- it's about how to take your own life via suicide. Morbid I know, but insightful nonetheless.

[cam 🐠🦋🦖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Content warning - suicide) Final Exit was an unlikely delight. I found it at a Goodwill and, like all books I find at Goodwill, it was a great book. Final Exit is intended as a “how-to” for terminal ill people seeking self-deliverance. I really like how Humphrey bravely champions the ultimate form of bodily autonomy. However, I worry that this book were to end up in the hands of someone without a terminal illness who was suicidal. Or even someone wanting to kill others. Nonetheless Final Exit was a brave, progressive, absurdist manual that pushes the discourse on an (unfortunately) controversial subject.

[William Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone dies. Many people die in automobile crashes, gang wars, from drugs, or in military wars, but if you live through your twenties, you’ll probably die of the diseases that come with old age.

Hospitals are incentivized to keep you alive at almost any cost (your cost, not theirs). I’ve seen relatives and friends linger on, year after year, hanging by a thread it seems, but not dying, until the money runs out and the medical care stops.

The human cost is incalculable, both to the dying person and those who care for him or her. Quality of life declines rapidly. Freedom is lost. Choices are constricted. The body becomes frail and unreliable, and so does the mind. Pain, discomfort, and anguish increase exponentially. Every day is a crisis. There’s nothing peaceful about modern dying.

If you want to die on your own terms, instead of slowly slipping into uncomprehending pain and frailty, sucking your whole family into the vortex with you, then you need to plan ahead.

“Final Exit” is for people diagnosed with terminal illness who would rather die in a manner of their own choosing instead of going through the traditional meat-grinder of the health system in America. It describes how to establish a “living will,” which instructs health care professionals and family members what your wishes are, and other useful steps, such as providing a trusted family member or other person with power of attorney to manage your affairs. All this can be set up in advance, when you are happy and healthy.

The book also offers advice about whether or not to end your own life, either with the help of a physician (“assisted suicide,”) or on your own. Assisted suicide is available in a few states now, and the regulations are stringent. You must be within your last six months of life due to untreatable, terminal illness. It is not for “mere” old age.

Author Humphry (a physician) is keen to state that the book is not meant to assist people to commit suicide, especially people who suffer from depression, other mental illness, or a severe reversal of fortune. It is advice for, as he calls it, “self-deliverance,” the act of an irreversibly ill person to make a rational, voluntary decision to end life.

Religious people may object that only god can determine when and how each person dies. Of course if that were true, they would skip end-of-life health care entirely. If you believe the god-knows-best argument about death, this book is not for you. Nevertheless, the book is not clear about the role of values in the society an individual lives in. It assumes you have some vague magical “right” of self-deliverance, but you do not, so it may be an anti-social act if you do it and you need to be ready for potential resistance.

Putting that consideration aside, the book is valuable in describing how to “deliver” yourself. It advises, for example, that you rule out any kind of plant or chemical poisons. You probably won’t die from them and probably will end up with brain damage. Same with sucking exhaust from your car. Same with most drugs you can get either illegally on the street or legally from your doctor. They’re not pure or they’re not strong enough, and prescription drugs have anti-suicide technologies built into them. It’s not that easy. There is no suicide potion you can count on.

The most direct method of delivering yourself, and by far the most common, is gunshot. That’s extremely violent and messy however, not available to everyone, and not for the frail and/or faint-hearted. It’s also not guaranteed to be done right. It’s just the most obvious. The book does not discuss self-inflicted gunshot as a method, an odd omission, considering its frequency.

The book lists dozens of pharmaceuticals that would be effective, along with the dosages needed and the probability of lethality. However, as a practical matter, you can’t get those drugs in the purity and quantity needed. So unless you have an inside track, forget those.

The recommended choice is the old bag-over-the-head method. A plastic bag, taped at the neck, brings death by asphyxiation in thirty minutes to a few hours, provided you don’t tear it off in a panic when you realize you are actually dying. The recommended method is to take an overdose of sleeping tablets (which are not lethal anymore), perhaps along with alcohol and an anti-emetic, so you are fast asleep before you suffocate and therefore won’t panic (hopefully) before the process is complete.

No data are presented on success or failure rates of the plastic bag method, an odd omission, considering its recommendation.

A much simpler and more obvious method is to ask your doctor to prescribe something lethal for you. Given your circumstances, you might be surprised at how accommodating the physician might be. Of course you have to use indirect language. No doctor is going to agree to a charge of murder or accessory to murder. But it is possible to make your meaning clear without being direct. I have seen that approach work with a relative who was in hospice care.

You will need more and better information than this book provides in order to make your own plan for “self-deliverance.” Judging from the outdated pharmacological information in the book, I’d say it is a good introduction to the topic but “The Final Exit” is not the final word.

[Marcus de Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inútil para quem vai viver pra sempre.

[Sydney McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plastic bag not included

[Lia Milousis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin?

The premise of the book is deplorable and unethical. Despite its sporadic comments encouraging readers to "consider others" when choosing whether, when, and how to kill themselves, the book is no doubt linked to an unprecedented degree of suffering (ie. the suffering of all those who follow this books appalling step-by-step suicide guide). While the author likely feels oh-so-reassured by having made these comments, whatever comfort he feels is both false and selfish, designed to shield him from the harsh reality that he is directly connected to causing the suffering of countless individuals (ie. the loved ones of those who follow his directions).

The author's comments themselves are inconsistent, arrogant, and sanctimonious. For someone who is advising people on how to kill themselves and simultaneously condemning those who would judge the actions of people pursuing "self-deliverance", he sure has a lot of opinions about how various forms of "emotional" suicide (which he conveniently distinguishes from "rational" suicide) are "selfish" and "unacceptable", while others are clearly ethical and acceptable (again, conveniently, these happen to be the forms of suicide that he personally prefers and would like to be able to use in the future). I'm not sure what standard he uses to distinguish between "emotional" and "rational" suicides, and I'm not sure what standard he uses to deign to call some forms of suicide "unacceptable" and "selfish" without applying that critique consistently to all forms of suicide, but, evidently, it is a standard that frames his possible future choice to pursue "self-deliverance" as "rational", "acceptable", and "selfless". And that - that will to power, that pursuit of self-actualization, that quest for total control and sovereignty - is clearly more important to him than intellectual honesty and consistency, otherwise he surely would have noted the gaping holes in his reasoning (with some completely contradictory statements being separated by no more than a few pages).

I could go on, but it suffices to say: I would recommend this book to no one, and, while I see and empathize with the author's efforts to find and offer compassionate solutions to objectively tragic human suffering, I have no respect for the author's clear failure - and, likely, refusal - to identify his own intellectual inconsistencies, to recognize his own convenient convictions, and to withhold his arrogant accusations.

[J. E. Mendoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply put, this book is a how to on catching the bus: overview of the effectivity of the methods, logistics and other practical considerations.

Published decades ago, many of the information are now dated. For instance, many of the self-deliverance drugs are no longer available in the market.

Also, as of present, there are now more effective and more painless methods available, but they were not mentioned in this book; however, these information are easily accessible on the internet.

That being said, I think this book is a good introduction on this topic. I also discovered books tackling merciful release because of this book. Just finished "Final Exit" by Betty Rollin last week (she has written the preface of this one).

I also learned that Humphry published a more updated version in 2020. Maybe you could skip this and read that instead. I will read that one, too.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a close friend used this book to end his life in 2019, I became interested in its message and directives. Mr. Humphry, a seminal figure in the death-with-dignity movement and founder of the National Hemlock Society, writes with a caring and empathetic voice, giving us ample and convincing stories on how suffering people and their loved ones can peacefully end their life in a compassionate way. When my friend died (after suffering most of his life from depression) it left me and others in his life feeling not just sadness, but also anger. Final Exit does not discuss depression as much as it does terminal illness, but it helped me to realize that my anger was mostly an unfair reaction. Suicide is a personal choice and one that, arguably in many cases, should be honored.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until I found this book I was never really sure if the Hemlock Society was a valid and credible organization. The author founded the Hemlock Society and writes clearly and very courageously about the issues of rational suicide for the terminally and hopelessly ill. Although this is still a very controversial subject in the US, assisted suicide and euthanasia have been legal and accepted in several countries in Europe for some time now. The book is both a very practical how-to manual and a compassionate resource for individuals and their loved ones who are facing these issues. Very empowering.

[MissAnnThrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of 2010. Given the content of this book, one would think it not appropriate to start the New Year with such a book. However, I believe it has given me a fresh perspective to start the year off with a greater appreciation for life.

I truly admire Derek Humphry for having the courage to write such a controversial book in order to provide assistance for the dying.

This is most definitely NOT a book for those who are closed-minded.

Now.... I think I'll pack my bags for Switzerland.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author waited until page 123 (of a 170 page book) to advise that if the reader is depressed, confused, or otherwise desirable of doing away with themselves for other than medical reasons the reader should contact a suicide prevention line. Fair enough.
What I took away from this book is that there are no clean or comfortable ways to make a final exit short of building your own Kervorkian machine. But then I fortunately do not find myself in the position of patient or assistant and I hope that will never be the case.