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koda_kodak's review
emotional
slow-paced
2.0
Not super well written. It's like a informal paper reiterating facts after they're stated but also with a tone of informality.
littoral's review
3.0
The book mostly lives up to its title of exploring the story of assisted suicide in America. I found myself wanting more earnest engagement with the critiques of assisted suicide, both in terms of the ethics of participating/enabling in assisted suicide, of adequately assessing patient autonomy in decision-making, and exploring the entangled role of families. Not necessarily the purpose of this book, but without these components, the story contained within is relatively one-sided.
ashleyholstrom's review
Captured 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.
cope_cheyenne's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
mallen1114's review
5.0
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.
heathero621's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about assisted dying. The book mostly takes place in Oregon, the first state to have assisted dying laws, and I think I probably found it more compelling than other readers because Oregon is the state that I live in, so many of the things that are talked about could affect me in the future. Having to take care of my dad and see how he suffered during the last weeks of his life really made me consider assisted dying for myself if something like that would happen to me. The book does have some very sad moments, but some funny ones too. I learned more about this topic and feel more knowledgeable about it. Even if you aren't for assisted dying, I still think that you would come away with some compassion for why people would want to do this.