Evans, Laura
Ingram An inspirational memoir by a breast cancer survivor describes her difficult road to recovery and her dramatic ascent, along with sixteen other survivors, of Argentina's Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. 20,000 first printing.
Wiskind, Julie
Amazon.com Many people may not realize that there are alternatives to immediately calling a funeral director when a loved one dies. In fact, if certain legalities are observed, most people can avoid the cost and impersonal involvement of the commercial funeral industry altogether and care for a deceased loved one with the kind of love and private ritual that not only extends and individualizes the care giving before death, but can also honor family history or follow a family's religious tradition. Authors Julie Wiskind and Richard Spiegal have written a moving and useful book for people who want to be involved in caring for their own dead with the kind of personal attention they devoted to their loved ones before they died. Funerals can be completely do-it-yourself events, allowing people to wash and care for the body in the comforting and familiar surroundings of home. Accepting death as a natural part of living and "normalizing" the ritual of caring for the body and arranging privately organized ceremonies is becoming more the norm among aging baby boomers in much the same way that natural birthing swept this generation at an earlier age. Coming to Rest clarifies the necessary legal paperwork, spells out many of the statutory requirements in different locations--only nine states in the U.S. require the involvement of a professional funeral director after a death--and offers a helpful and informative discussion on this sensitive subject. This book will surprise some, but it will also reassure and help guide many more to a comfortable, personalized end to the life of a loved one. --Mark A. Hetts Andrew Weil, M.D., Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine, U. of Arizona, Author of Spontaneous Healing and Eight Weeks to Optimum Health "This little book makes it possible for people to conduct family funerals independent of funeral directors and the industry around them. Julie Wiskind and Richard Spiegel have done a great service. Their experience and point of view are invaluable."
Ericsson, Stephanie
Book Description As a result of her own experience with many kind of loss, Stephanie Ericsson offers an intimate, profoundly touching guide for those in grief, legitimizing the complex and often taboo emotions we all feel when loss transforms our lives. In Companion Through the Darkness, Stephanie Ericsson defines grief as "the constant reawakening that things are now different." Using a very simple format -- which combines excerpts from her own diary writings with brief essays -- she vividly speaks the language of loss and captures the contradictory, wrenching, and chaotic emotions of grief. The book can be opened at any point to chapters no more than a few pages long on such themes as: Abandonment: The sudden state I am forced into. I no longer belong to you. I no longer belong to anyone. Rage: The state I use to survive seemingly moments of intolerable pain. Humor: The backside of agony. Pity: The look on people's faces when they haven't a clue what to say to me. Transition: The moments, strung out over months, when I know I am no longer the woman I was, but not quite the woman I am becoming. The result is compelling, intimate, and heartbreakingly truthful -- a book that promises to be enormously sought-after support and touchstone for all those making their own journey through grief. Ingram A guide to grieving offers a series of meditations that address such themes as Abandonment, Rage, Exile, Silences, Cherishing, Spiritual Awakenings, and more. 30,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo. Tour.
Anderson, Moira K.
Coleman, Joan
Greg Mogenson
C. S. Lewis
Simonton, Stephanie
Beresford, Larry
From Publishers Weekly Once way-stations run by religious orders to give respite to those on pilgrimages, today hospices provide care for dying people. Their philosophy of care is dedicated to the physical comfort and emotional support of the terminal patient. The hospice movement also affirms the idea that the patient deserves to be completely informed about his or her medical condition and treatment alternatives. Beresford, a San Francisco-based health policy writer, provides a complete, if somewhat dry, account of the hospice movement. But this is more than an intellectual discussion of a health-care policy; it also addresses practical questions. Beresford devotes the first two chapters to an explanation of hospice care and how to know when it is needed. In subsequent chapters he describes a typical hospice team (social worker, nurse, personal care aide and chaplain) and enumerates additional services, such as in-patient care. He explains the differences between community- and home health agency-based hospice programs and those that are based in hospitals or nursing homes. He also tackles insurance coverage, and his rundown of Medicare's hospice benefits is clear and concise (unlike most insurance forms). Finally, he reminds us that death, though inevitable, is rarely easy. His guide may make some of the tough decisions about choosing a hospice a little bit simpler. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description: In recent years hospice care has gone from a little-known medical alternative to a major movement in health care that has played a leading role in the lives of over 200,000 people. By emphasizing palliative care and pain management rather than curative treatment, hospices allow the terminally ill to spend the last days, week, or months of their lives in their own homes, cared for by their families under the supervision of a team of specially trained hospice workers that includes doctors, nurses, social workers, and volunteers. The Hospice Handbook assures us that the terminally ill do have options, and the quality of their lives can still be within their control.
Stoddard, Sandol
Book Description At a time when the end of life has become the subject of anguished medical and ethical debate, no book is more welcome than The Hospice Movement This modern classic outlines a bold and noble alternative to the high-tech nightmare that has all too often been our society's accepted approach to death: hospice instead offers caring communities where dying people are treated as human beings worthy of attention and respect. Widely recognized as the essential reference for all who deal with the terminally ill, the book has now been extensively updated with three new chapters that describe the hospice movement's response to AIDS and its evolution into an international phenomenon. The result is one of those rare works that initiate caregivers, family, and friends into a new understanding of death and dying, one that reconciles the medical, the social, and the spiritual. "A deeply compassionate book, a moving experience to read." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh "[The hospice movement] is the finest organization for change in this country today." -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Ingram The classic that revolutionized the way we treat the terminally ill--and how we view death itself--now substantially updated and expanded with three entirely new chapters and an extensive appendix on pain and symptom management. Plus, new material on the movement's growth and response to the challenge of AIDS.
Peter McWilliams
Ingram One of the most directly helpful books on the subject of loss ever written, the first edition of this comforting and inspiring book, published in 1976, sold nearly two million copies. This completely revised and expanded edition encompasses not only the medical and psychological advances in the treatment of loss, but also the authors' own experiences.
O'Connor, Nancy
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross "You have my endorsement for Letting Go With Love; The Grieving Process. It is a good book on grief and very easily readable." Ernest F. Pecci M.D. Letting Go With Love is complete and straightforward, this readible quality can only be written by someone who's has been there and back.
Sharp, Joseph
Amazon.com When he wrote Living Our Dying, Joseph Sharp had been living with the HIV virus for over a decade, living each day with the knowledge that he will, eventually, die. For him, this has become the foundation of an intimate awareness of the beauty and majesty of life, in himself and in all those close to him, whether they've been diagnosed with a fatal illness or not. In this straightforward book, Sharp weaves his personal experiences, quotations from other spiritual and health authors, and suggested meditations into a moving proposal for the "rewriting" of our own lives as a conscious pilgrimage toward the inevitable outcome for ourselves and those we love. Ingram A chaplain and long-term survivor of AIDS demonstrates how acceptance of death through spiritual awareness can make life more fulfilling and provides poetry, prayer, and quotations for inspiration.
Wallace Sife, Ph.D
Strong, Maggie
Subtitle on cover: A moving personal account and a companion guide for the well spouse of the chronically ill. Reprint. Originally published: Boston : Little, Brown, 1988. Includes index.
Smith, Gregory White
From Library Journal It is everyone's worst nightmare: an inoperable brain tumor, a dire prognosis. At this point, one might naturally give up in despair and compose oneself for the end as best one could. But not Smith (coauthor, with partner Naifeh, of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Jackson Pollock). From the December day in 1986 when Smith received the shattering diagnosis, the reader is taken on his harrowing quest to beat the odds. First there are the external obstacles intrinsic to medicine and medical economics. (It should be noted?without surprise?that Smith is particularly critical of the system of medical insurance in this country.) Smith also deals with the internal obstacles, especially the temptation of the seriously ill toward a "Why me?" self-pity and depression, to which he himself admits to having succumbed on occasion. It is this honest appraisal of his own shortcomings in the "grit and determination" department that guarantees Making Miracles Happen an appreciative audience. Recommended for consumer health collections. -?Kay Hogan, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lister Hill Lib. of the Health Sciences Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. The New York Times Book Review, Gina Kolata I opened Making Miracles Happen, by Gregory White Smith and Steven Naifeh, with skepticism. But they have managed to write a medical miracle story that not only is gripping in the best tradition of these tales but also steers clear of most of the pitfalls. As I read their book, I found myself poised to start objecting.... Yet Smith and Naifeh ... met my every objection almost as soon as I could voice it. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. Book Description Ten years ago, Gregory White Smith's doctors gave him three months to live. He's still here. Discover how he, and many others in this life-changing book, beat the odds and survived. The news was grim. Doctors at the prestigious Mayo Clinic told Greg Smith--young, handsome, and hard at work at the book that would one day win him a Pulitzer Prize--that he had an inoperable brain tumor. They gave him three months to live. Ten years later, Greg is fit, active, and managing his tumor with an experimental hormone therapy. Like Greg, the other courageous people in this book--whose illnesses range from cystic fibrosis to cancer--have returned from the threshold of death. They are all medical miracles. Now you can learn how they made those miracles happen. Not a survivor's memoir, but a survivor's handbook, this extraordinary book weaves the insights of doctors and the wisdom of patients into a road map anyone can follow out of the dark fears of dying. Discover: The one thing that makes the difference between life and death --taking control Practical steps to finding the best doctor and the best care Your own research...how to do it, why your life depends on it What you need to ask before beginning an experimental treatment Why even if there isn't a cure now, there may be tomorrow--and how to live long enough to get it...and more
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth
From AudioFile This presentation of the seminal work in this field may offer new insight even to those who have already read it. Carol Bilger serves as primary reader of the expository material and as the questioner in the patient dialogues. The various patients are presented by a male and female reader (unnamed) in effective give-and-take with Bigler. It's unfortunate they receive no credit as they, like Bilger, are skillful and work well together. Their voices are well modulated and reflect intensity of emotion without being overdone. The abridgment is smooth, and the transition between narration and dialogue is handled well. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. Product Description: One of the most famous psychological studies of the late twentieth century, On Death and Dying grew out of an interdisciplinary seminar on death, originated and conducted by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. In On Death and Dying, Dr. Kübler-Ross first introduced and explored the now-famous idea of the five stages of dealing with death: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. With sample interviews and conversations, she gives the reader a better understanding of how imminent death affects the patient, the professionals who serve the patient, and the patient's family, bringing hope, solace, and peace of mind to all involved.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Marie-Louise von Franz
Humphry, Derek
Riley, James C.
From Book News, Inc. An integration of history (from the 17th century), medicine, and biology that identifies an increase in ill health rates in North America and Europe since 1870 and projects future trends. Acidic paper. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Marquis Professional Publications
Grollman, Earl A.
Book Description Drawings by Susan Avishai Third Edition Why do people die? How do you explain the loss of a loved one to a child? This book is a compassionate guide for adults and children to read together, featuring a readalong story, answers to questions children ask about death, and a comprehensive list of resources and organizations that can help. Ingram Whether through war, a natural disaster, or the serious illness of a loved one or pet, many children must face the reality of death much sooner than their parents would like. This book is designed to help parents and children talk about this difficult time. Illustrated.
Gonzalez-Crussi, F.
Bibliography: p. 193-207.
McIntee, Jeanne Daly
From the Back Cover "Jeanne McIntee has provided a comprehensive reference for assisting individuals in making choices that will give comfort in a time of loss. This volume provides the survivors with the organization necessary to carry out a course of action that is meaningful." ---Dr. Roberta B. Holt Faculty, Georgetown Family Center Washington, D.C. "Jeanne McIntee's book provides a very useful framework to help families with decisions while facing emotional pain of often unparalleled intensity. She combines discussion of the deeply moving personal and spiritual issues which arise with very specific practical outlines on how to plan the ceremonies which illuminate the end of life." ---Dr. John R. Priest pediatric oncologist Minneapolis, Minnesota "An excellent resource for everyone who needs help planning a funeral. It is also an excellent pastoral resource for priests and ministers who need to help families and individuals plan a funeral." ---Father Patrick Lannon Pastor, Nativity of Our Lord Parish St. Paul, Minnesota About the Author Jeanne Daly McIntee wrote this book because she could not find the help she needed when her infant son was lost to cancer in 1985. She is licensed as both a professional marriage and family therapist and a clinical social worker, and holds a master of arts degree in Human Development. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and four children. Book Description When facing a death, a family can be overwhelmed by the many difficult decisions that must be made. This warm and sensitive work-book guides a family or individual through the decisions, helping them choose and adapt the practices that are most meaningful to them. It includes specific suggestions and examples, both classic and contemporary, from a variety of Christian traditions.
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth
Book Description Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose books on death and dying have sold in the millions, now offers an extraordinary visual record of her work. Through the brilliant photographs of Mal Warshaw, To Live Until We Say Good-Bye gives a gripping, intimate view of Dr. Kübler-Ross's counseling work with terminally ill patients as she brings them to an acceptance of death. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Andreae, Christine
From Library Journal Andreae's experiences as a freelance writer and mystery author (Smoke Eaters) are evident in this account of her experiences as a hospice volunteer with female patients in the last stages of cancer. Hospice volunteers work through a local agency and provide support for families when their members are dying. Written in a very readable diary format, this book traces the author's experience from rank newcomer to seasoned volunteer. She reveals how the experiences helped her to grow and how she was able to assist the families to whom she was assigned. The first chapter, "Bivie," was privately published as One Woman's Death: A Hospice Volunteer's First Case. This book is valuable for helping us understand the work hospice volunteers do and some of the problems and issues they face. A useful addition to consume-health collections.DMary J. Jarvis, Amarillo, TX Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist For those still confused by the hospice concept, Andreae, who has volunterred for a decade at Blue Ridge Hospice in rural Virginia, imparts some idea of what hospice programs are and are like. Most of Andreae's 15 patients, however, spent their final days and died at home, and as a detailed account of dying in a hospice, Tim Brookes' Signs of Life (1997) is more helpful. Still, Andreae writes movingly and perceptively of her patients and herself, and even tells stories on herself. Hospice care... read more Book Description When Christine Andreae signed up for twenty-seven hours of patient-care training with the Blue Ridge Hospice in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, her parents were still living and her grandparents' funerals hadn't involved a viewing. Her only direct experience with death had been when, at the age of six, she had gone with her father to the viewing for the family's parish priest. At a training session, the leader passed around a tray of small objects and asked participants to choose one that represented what they felt they could give to a dying person. Christine randomly took an old-fashioned key, for no reason that she knew. And when it was her turn to speak, "feeling like a liar" she stammered something about "opening doors to people." Looking back, she says, "Perhaps what I wanted was to open a door for myself." In its directness and honesty, this beautiful book about accompanying the dying is far from saddening-instead it is truly inspirational in the best sense. Starting with Bivie, her first patient, then going to the very different Amber, and to several others whose need for care was more short-term, the author began to see terminal illness not as some dreaded "thing" hovering in the distance, but as an "everyday" reality. She learned that because the dying continue to live until that final day comes, daily activities continue, tapering off gradually. The mothers among her patients wanted to care for children and households, to manage their affairs, or to pursue other interests-one, for instance, wrote (very bad) poetry. They wanted to continue doing the things they did before their lives were interrupted by illness (in most of Christine's cases, cancer). Contrary to the ideas so many of us have about our behavior in the face of terminal illness, the dying do not welcome people tiptoeing around their illness and offering solemn sympathy. They want things to be as much like they had been as possible. And they need someone to be there, to talk to, to listen to, to gossip with, and sometimes, of course, to complain to. When her first patient, Bivie, died, Andreae wrote: How presumptuous I was at the outset, thinking that I could somehow "help" Bivie die! Ultimately, the process of dying-like the process of living-is a unique and solitary task for each of us. No one can "get it right" for us. On the other hand, we can bear witness to each other's passages. At birth and death, we can hear each other, love each other, learn from each other. And there is the most profound help in that-for everyone present.
Levine, Stephen