The Inevitable: Dispatches on the Right to Die
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- Author：Katie Engelhart
- ISBN：1250201462
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Summary
As much of the world's population grows older， the quest for a "good death，" has become a significant issue。 For many， the right to die often means the right to die with dignity。 The Inevitable moves beyond margins of the law to the people who are meticulously planning their final hours--far from medical offices， legislative chambers， hospital ethics committees， and polite conversation--and the people who help them， loved ones or clandestine groups on the Internet known as the "euthanasia underground。"
Katie Engelhart， a veteran journalist， focuses on six people representing different aspects of the debate。 Two are doctors: a California physician who runs a boutique assisted death clinic and has written more lethal prescriptions than anyone else in the U。S。; an Australian named Philip Nitschke who lost his medical license for teaching people how to end their lives painlessly and peacefully at "DIY Death" workshops。 The other four chapters belong to people who said they wanted to die because they were suffering unbearably--of old age， chronic illness， dementia， and mental anguish--and saw suicide as their only option。 Spanning Australia， North America， and Europe， Engelhart presents a deeply reported portrait of everyday people struggling to make hard decisions， and wrestling back a measure of authenticity and dignity to their lives。
Katie Engelhart， a veteran journalist， focuses on six people representing different aspects of the debate。 Two are doctors: a California physician who runs a boutique assisted death clinic and has written more lethal prescriptions than anyone else in the U。S。; an Australian named Philip Nitschke who lost his medical license for teaching people how to end their lives painlessly and peacefully at "DIY Death" workshops。 The other four chapters belong to people who said they wanted to die because they were suffering unbearably--of old age， chronic illness， dementia， and mental anguish--and saw suicide as their only option。 Spanning Australia， North America， and Europe， Engelhart presents a deeply reported portrait of everyday people struggling to make hard decisions， and wrestling back a measure of authenticity and dignity to their lives。
Reviews
Steven Ridgely
，
Very interesting。
Diogenes
，
Americans are terribly afraid of discussing death。 Petrified really， and then there’s the fear-mongers。 “According to the 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation study， about 70 percent of Americans report that they ‘generally avoid’ talking about death。 Just 22 percent of people aged sixty-five and older have ever discussed end-of-life wishes with a healthcare provider。 National death phobia is so institutionalized that， in 2009， a rather technical policy debate about how American physicians should be re Americans are terribly afraid of discussing death。 Petrified really， and then there’s the fear-mongers。 “According to the 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation study， about 70 percent of Americans report that they ‘generally avoid’ talking about death。 Just 22 percent of people aged sixty-five and older have ever discussed end-of-life wishes with a healthcare provider。 National death phobia is so institutionalized that， in 2009， a rather technical policy debate about how American physicians should be reimbursed by medicare for counseling their patients on living wills and end-of-life care options （the proposed fee was $86 for an initial thirty-minute appointment） was hijacked by conservative lawmakers and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin， who argued that such counseling sessions amounted to government run ‘death panels’， deciding who could lie and who must die” （p。 267）。 It’s not really surprising in Fantasyland America with an unread Bible in one hand and a loaded assault rifle in the other， praying at the altars of Fake News and Disinformation， Hypocrisy and Immorality。 Terry Gross interviewed the author for All Things Considered （https://www。npr。org/sections/health-s。。。）。 I’m a Right-To-Die-With-Dignity guy， just so my bias is clear from the get-go。 I’m also a life-long metalhead， where Death is a foundational topic; an armchair Buddhist， where annihilation of the Self， the impermanence of all things， and the seeking of Oblivion are prime tenets; and， someone who has had undulating “suicidal ideation” since around 13 years of age—it is baked into my gray matter， and therefore a deep-tissue component of me。 However， Englehart does a masterly job of being unbiased with this book: “This book incorporates medicine， law， and philosophy， but it is not a book of argument and it is not a comprehensive accounting of the right-to-die movement in the United States or anywhere else。 Primarily， it is a collection of stories and conversations and ideas” （p。 21）。 It is that exactly， and not an enjoyable， uplifting read， but it is enlightening in many tremendous ways， analyzing the history of this idea in its modern context。 The fact remains， we treat the passing of our suffering pets with far more dignity， empathy， and compassion than we do most human beings。 That is the keystone to this entire issue。 Shouldn’t we be given， at the very least， the choice of a dignified， peaceful death？ The research shows that just having the option grants many people a gentle push towards living life a bit harder， knowing that a safety net is in place should all other opportunities resign。 Allowing a dignified， peaceful death actually gives most people more hope to try living longer。 Think about that。 “In 2010， the number of people in America over sixty-five years old was around 40 million， but by 2030 that number will have doubled to almost one in five people。 The sclerotic healthcare system cannot bear the strain。 Already， in 2017， Americans spent more than $3。5 trillion on healthcare: more than 17 percent of the entire country’s gross domestic product， and about double， per capita， what the average OECD [the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development， basically the wealthiest nations on Earth] country pays。 Up to a quarter of all Medicare spending goes to patients in just the last year of their lives” （p。 267）。 We all know things are not good， unless you’re filthy rich and can afford everything your heart desires， including a new heart; our “sclerotic healthcare system” is systemically flawed。 Pharmaceuticals are ridiculously expensive， medical bills bankrupt too many people， the insurance consortium is nothing but predatory， Medicare doesn’t cover assisted-living facilities and most at-home caregiving， the “assisted living / nursing home” industry is all too vampiric and inhumane， and a large portion of the population simply doesn’t make healthy choices， compounding everything from insurance premiums to the burden of the healthcare system overall。 The medical model does not work when talking about rational death。 We need a rights-based model: having a peaceful death—having the choice of a peaceful death—should be a fundamental human right devoid of politics and dominating， obsolete， religious belief systems。 Liberal， godless humanism， I know。 Another fact is that the right-to-die-with-dignity camp is growing stronger every year， and nations like Belgium， the Netherlands， and Canada are leading the way towards a new paradigm model。 I just hope by the time it’s my turn to forego prolonged agony and misery in later-life， a simple cocktail is all that’s required to drift into the endless sleep of Oblivion， with Charon softly humming Metallica’s “Fade to Black”， perhaps with the entire San Francisco Symphony playing along the shoes of Styx， as his paddle gently slips into the black water。 。。。more
Annie McKavett
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She asks all the right questions about death， dignity， and what it means to live and die well。 I learned a lot。
Lisa Eirene
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This is a tough read， and it will not be for everyone。 However， I think it is a very important topic--especially as the baby boomer generation ages。 I think the option for death with dignity will appeal to some people。 This is a topic I've been very interested in for a long time。 Oregon passed the law in the 90s and I always wondered about it。 Especially after watching two relatives die a very very slow， painful， undignified death。 After watching that happen for years， I wondered if there was a This is a tough read， and it will not be for everyone。 However， I think it is a very important topic--especially as the baby boomer generation ages。 I think the option for death with dignity will appeal to some people。 This is a topic I've been very interested in for a long time。 Oregon passed the law in the 90s and I always wondered about it。 Especially after watching two relatives die a very very slow， painful， undignified death。 After watching that happen for years， I wondered if there was a better way。 Even as a teen I thought about quality of life。 Those were not "quality" years for my relatives with horrific degenerative diseases。 The book is difficult to read， but thought-provoking。 The stories are the most intimate: stories about people's decisions for the end， how they planned it， how they did it， who helped， why they did it， etc。 It's an emotional but important read。 。。。more
Linda Bond
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Death with dignity is an issue that looms just behind the scenes in our lives。 Some folk don’t want to talk about it。 Others find it an outrage。 Still others consider it an important part of life in the future。 We’re living longer。 We are able to linger for long periods under the thumb of disease。 But do we have the right to take our own lives or to be assisted to die by others？ The author has done her research and what results is a thorough overview of the issues involved in this social conundr Death with dignity is an issue that looms just behind the scenes in our lives。 Some folk don’t want to talk about it。 Others find it an outrage。 Still others consider it an important part of life in the future。 We’re living longer。 We are able to linger for long periods under the thumb of disease。 But do we have the right to take our own lives or to be assisted to die by others？ The author has done her research and what results is a thorough overview of the issues involved in this social conundrum。 I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the topic and its ramifications， as well as it’s current status in society。I met this book at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane， WA 。。。more
Daniel
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We have the right to live， but not the right to die。 Doctors are taught to save lives， not kill。 This book brilliantly describes the people who want to end their lives， and the doctors and volunteer who help them。 So some European counties such as Switzerland， Belgium and the Netherlands all have laws allowing physical-assisted death。 They even sell it as a package。 Some states in America do allow that， but the patient must do the action themselves， and they must have a terminal illness。 Sometim We have the right to live， but not the right to die。 Doctors are taught to save lives， not kill。 This book brilliantly describes the people who want to end their lives， and the doctors and volunteer who help them。 So some European counties such as Switzerland， Belgium and the Netherlands all have laws allowing physical-assisted death。 They even sell it as a package。 Some states in America do allow that， but the patient must do the action themselves， and they must have a terminal illness。 Sometimes it’s difficult for people with problems moving or dementia to complete the task。 There are lots of opposition to this movement; however， some doctors have successfully sold millions of copies of menus advising people how to end their lives。 There are many concerns。 If ending one’s life becomes an option， would choosing not to do it be seen as ‘choosing to suffer’？ Would family members come to expect patients with terminal disease to die， when what they need is actually care？ Some doctors in the Netherlands will do it for anyone who wants to end their lives。 Because， once you think that it’s ok for someone with terminal illness to end their lives， then someone in constant pain， then someone who has psychological pain， then anyone who has lost their will to live should all be allowed to end their lives。 So is human life sacred？ It seems that when God is considered dead， only human rights matter。 So by definition anyone who does not want to live should be allowed to die。。。 Certain patient assisted death advocates actually want to limit the choice still to the terminally ill， because they don’t want public backlash。 It is sad that life is no longer precious or sacred。 People expect to live happily， and any setbacks have become a reason to end it。 Scary indeed。 。。。more
Knewmyer
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3。5 stars。 Good and bleak。 Hard subject matter for me right now。 I don't see how physician assisted suicide can work in a country like America without taking for-profit insurance and drug companies out of the picture first。 I dread the thought of paying for a （for-profit） nursing home at $6，000 a month for my end of life care （assuming I have the quality of life of a houseplant） when that money could go where I want it to go。 I'm 56 and I hope this is figured out before I get to the last stage o 3。5 stars。 Good and bleak。 Hard subject matter for me right now。 I don't see how physician assisted suicide can work in a country like America without taking for-profit insurance and drug companies out of the picture first。 I dread the thought of paying for a （for-profit） nursing home at $6，000 a month for my end of life care （assuming I have the quality of life of a houseplant） when that money could go where I want it to go。 I'm 56 and I hope this is figured out before I get to the last stage of my life。 。。。more
Rebecca
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The fact that I read a lot more books about death than the average person is something I attribute not to some morbid curiosity， but to pragmatism。 As the title of Canadian reporter and documentary filmmaker Katie Engelhart’s book makes clear， this is the one subject none of us can avoid indefinitely， so why not learn about and understand it as much as possible？ The Inevitable focuses on the controversial matter of assisted dying， also known as assisted suicide， euthanasia， or physician-assisted The fact that I read a lot more books about death than the average person is something I attribute not to some morbid curiosity， but to pragmatism。 As the title of Canadian reporter and documentary filmmaker Katie Engelhart’s book makes clear， this is the one subject none of us can avoid indefinitely， so why not learn about and understand it as much as possible？ The Inevitable focuses on the controversial matter of assisted dying， also known as assisted suicide， euthanasia， or physician-assisted death。 It’s a topic that’s already come up in my reading a couple of times this year: in the Dutch context of That One Patient by Ellen de Visser， and as a key part of the narrative in Darke Matter by Rick Gekoski。Engelhart spends time with doctors and patients who are caught up in the assisted dying argument， chiefly in Western Europe and the United States。 Ten states plus Washington， D。C。 have assisted dying laws， sparked by Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act in 1997。 In California， the author follows Dr。 Lonny Shavelson for a month， observing all the meticulous regulations surrounded a physician-assisted death: patients with a terminal diagnosis and less than six months to live have to complete multiple forms， give many signatures， deliver oral testimony， and be able to drink the fatal concoction by themselves （whereas in other countries doctors can administer lethal injections）。 And if， when the time comes， a patient is too far gone to give spoken consent， the procedure is cancelled。Other chapters consider specific cases that are not generally covered by current legislation but can drive people to seek assisted suicide: the ravages of old age， chronic degenerative illnesses， dementia， and severe mental illness。 Each of these is given its own long chapter， like an extended magazine profile。Meet Avril Henry， a former Exeter University professor in her eighties， now living alone with a failing body but no specific diagnosis that would qualify her for AD。 Pain has long since outweighed pleasure in her life， so she illegally imports Nembutal from a veterinary supplier in Mexico and makes a careful plan for what will happen with her body， home， and possessions after she takes the drug in the bathtub。Meet Maia Calloway， a 39-year-old former filmmaker confined to a wheelchair by multiple sclerosis。 Her medicines cost $65，000 a year， not all covered by Medicare， and she can no longer rely on the patience of her boyfriend， who acts as her carer。 She decides to raise the money to travel from Taos to a Swiss assisted dying clinic。Meet Debra， a 65-year-old widow so rapidly declining with dementia that she knows she has to make her arrangements at once。 She contacts the Final Exit Network， which gives advice and equipment （e。g。 a nitrogen tank） that can make a death look unexplained or like a standard suicide。Meet Adam， a 27-year-old in daily distress from OCD， anxiety， and depersonalization disorder。 Though he’s lobbied for the inclusion of mental illness， he doesn’t qualify for AD under Canada’s laws。 In 2017 he starts a Facebook livestream from a hotel room， intending to take poison off-screen。 He loses his nerve this time， but is determined to try again。These stories are so wrenching， but so compassionately told。 Engelhart explores the nuances of each situation， crafting expert portraits of suffering people and the medical professionals who seek to help them， and adding much in the way of valuable context。 Hers is a voice of reason and empathy。 She mostly stays in the background， as befits a journalist， but occasionally emotional responses or skepticism come through – Exit International’s Philip Nitschke， vilified as a “Dr。 Death” like Jack Kevorkian， is too much of a maverick for her。And while her sympathy for the AD cause is evident， she also presents opposing arguments: from hospice doctors， from those afraid that the disabled will be pushed into assisted suicide to free up resources， from the family members of her subjects， and from those who have witnessed abuses of the system。 There are those who frame this as a question of rights， and others who recognize a rare privilege; some who scorn the notion of escape， and others who speak of dignity and the kindness one would show a dying pet。 The book is a vital contribution to an ongoing debate， with human stories at its heart。Originally published on my blog， Bookish Beck。 。。。more
Carol
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Thoughtful， nuanced， and compelling， this book is incredibly well-researched and well-written。 Engelhart deftly weaves history， legislative， medical， ethical， political， and philosophical facts and issues into each section， which focuses on a specific individual。 This book prompts discussion and debate without being overly dogmatic。
Judith
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Very informativeA brief endorsement my negative view of nursing homes。 Options of supportive agencies， countries and individuals to turn to for help in decision making。
William T
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This is a good book and I recommend it， but it is not totally coherent。 The writing is lucid， the stories relevant and the analysis on topic。 The problem is that the subject matter is so big that drawing a "coherent" theme through the book was hard to accomplish。 There is plenty here to like and I recommend it， but don't be surprised if you are more confused at the end than you were at the beginning。 The subject matter， assisted dying or rational suicide， crosses boundaries all over the map。 Kat This is a good book and I recommend it， but it is not totally coherent。 The writing is lucid， the stories relevant and the analysis on topic。 The problem is that the subject matter is so big that drawing a "coherent" theme through the book was hard to accomplish。 There is plenty here to like and I recommend it， but don't be surprised if you are more confused at the end than you were at the beginning。 The subject matter， assisted dying or rational suicide， crosses boundaries all over the map。 Katie Englehart deserves great praise for her effort。 I doubt that this is the last time we will hear from Katie on this subject。 She is clearly motivated to understand it。 Of course， it would be nice to know if dying is really a release from suffering。 。。。more
Ren HappilyBuriedInBooks
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Katie Englehart writes passionately and compassionately in this wonderful book。 She explores the mindsets of a variety of people on both sides of this issue， and of those on the fence。 The stories are moving， thought-provoking， and diverse; they’re interspersed with discussions of ethics， philosophy， legislation， politics， and history。 Patients， doctors， bioethicists， and a host of others give this book its solid foundation。 Chapters flow seamlessly from modern medicine to age to body to memory Katie Englehart writes passionately and compassionately in this wonderful book。 She explores the mindsets of a variety of people on both sides of this issue， and of those on the fence。 The stories are moving， thought-provoking， and diverse; they’re interspersed with discussions of ethics， philosophy， legislation， politics， and history。 Patients， doctors， bioethicists， and a host of others give this book its solid foundation。 Chapters flow seamlessly from modern medicine to age to body to memory to mind and to freedom。 I really enjoyed this book and I’m certain I’ll go back to it again and again。 Thanks to St Martin’s Press and goodreads giveaways for the provided ARC and the opportunity to read this book。 My review is honest， unbiased， and voluntary。 。。。more
Michelle
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The Inevitable is an excellent book。 Katie Engelhart did phenomenal reporting to put this book together; she captures all the messiness， contradictions， and nuance of the right-to-die movement。 She also does an amazing job of profiling different people - folks planning their own death， physicians， volunteers， public personalities。 I appreciated how the book didn't focus so much on the political/legal aspects of passing right-to-die laws， but more on the thoughts， emotions， and actions of the peo The Inevitable is an excellent book。 Katie Engelhart did phenomenal reporting to put this book together; she captures all the messiness， contradictions， and nuance of the right-to-die movement。 She also does an amazing job of profiling different people - folks planning their own death， physicians， volunteers， public personalities。 I appreciated how the book didn't focus so much on the political/legal aspects of passing right-to-die laws， but more on the thoughts， emotions， and actions of the people who are most affected by the issue。 I felt a lot of emotions while reading this book。 This is an extremely complicated issue， and Engelhart did a fantastic job of showing just how complicated it is。 There are no easy answers。 What does it mean to have a good death？ What does it mean to live and die with dignity？ This is a thought-provoking book， and I think it is valuable reading for everyone， regardless of your views on the right-to-die movement。 。。。more
Lisa （not getting friends updates） Vegan
，
Mostly just my strong feelings…（view spoiler）[ This is an issue near and dear to my heart from the time I was about 12 years old。 I get angry when people won’t be helped to die if that’s what they want， for any reason， not just for sure being within 6 months of death。I have zero tolerance for those who try to prevent me from making my own choice to die， whether it’s from fear that abuse could happen or some religious or other belief that suffering is some sort of obligation。 I dread being under Mostly just my strong feelings…（view spoiler）[ This is an issue near and dear to my heart from the time I was about 12 years old。 I get angry when people won’t be helped to die if that’s what they want， for any reason， not just for sure being within 6 months of death。I have zero tolerance for those who try to prevent me from making my own choice to die， whether it’s from fear that abuse could happen or some religious or other belief that suffering is some sort of obligation。 I dread being under the control of anyone like that！ It’s a really common belief and 。。Reading this just increased my anger。Reading this increased my terror。 Magnified it。 The timeline included at the back of the book was telling。 We seem to be in the infancy of allowing people to choose their time of death and to allow deaths without suffering for those who choose it。 I guess I shouldn’t be surprised。 For over five decades now I’ve hoped this would not only be made easier but would become easy。 Everyone deserves a good death if that’s what we want。 We allow it for our dogs and our cats but some humans are keeping that right from other humans。 Give me barbiturates when I choose to take them， whether ti be because of cancer， dementia， ALS， extreme poverty， and it doesn’t really matter since I should get to choose when there is too much suffering， physical or mental。 I am grateful to all those covered in this book who honor others’ wishes and especially those who try to help when help is needed。 For those who disagree， then don’t ever take this action for yourself or others but don’t dictate your beliefs to those who don’t agree with you。 （hide spoiler）]Well written and acknowledging all sides。 I was interested in the various people that made appearances in this book。 。。。more
LLDW
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Recommended by The Economist March 20， 2021 issue:https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 Recommended by The Economist March 20， 2021 issue:https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 。。。more
Becky Langston
，
KatieEngelhart did an excellent job writing about such a touchy topic。 She never showed us her opinion about if the right of dying is right or wrong。 The people she wrote about had their reasons for choosing their decision to end their life and the doctors who choose to help them accomplish it。 I did not agreed on this at all but I do have a better understanding of seeing their side of this subject。 One thing I noticed those that wanted to take their lives in their own hands had no belief of an KatieEngelhart did an excellent job writing about such a touchy topic。 She never showed us her opinion about if the right of dying is right or wrong。 The people she wrote about had their reasons for choosing their decision to end their life and the doctors who choose to help them accomplish it。 I did not agreed on this at all but I do have a better understanding of seeing their side of this subject。 One thing I noticed those that wanted to take their lives in their own hands had no belief of an afterlife that I noticed。 One said "they just wanted a nice long sleep" I wonder if they really comprehend how finished death really is， I wonder if those that one doctor spoke about that some did leave in anguished and terror as they left this world behind that they did saw that death does not killed the soul that it spends eternity somewhere。 But then again non of the participants ever spoke of a soul or afterlife。 It also made me highly concerned about government that in the future， if the elderly with have the right to live on or if they have in their view no useful function in society。 I notice from the book that in Europe and America that the elderly was view more of a burden to be taken care of。 I have not seen this in the Asian countries where in Japan it is a honor to take care of their parents as they grow old。 I wonder if they have the any participants in this right to die community？I guess the one that upset me the most what the 80 year old women that choose that age to end it all even though she was still in good health。 She still had so much more to offer and do in her life。 I am worried if someone at any age that might have a bad day， a terrible break-up， and other life changing events that happen to anyone， that giving up on life is their only answer。 。。。more
Daria
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2。75/5。 this was a tough read。 not even the subject matter， just getting through it was soooooo long and i felt like it took me so long to read every chapter。 i wanted to like it， and the subject itself was really interesting to me。 the strengths were definitely the people and their stories， and when it strayed away from that （which it did a lot） it was a lot of names， a lot of laws， and not very much to keep me reading。 i understand with a book like this you want to put as much information as y 2。75/5。 this was a tough read。 not even the subject matter， just getting through it was soooooo long and i felt like it took me so long to read every chapter。 i wanted to like it， and the subject itself was really interesting to me。 the strengths were definitely the people and their stories， and when it strayed away from that （which it did a lot） it was a lot of names， a lot of laws， and not very much to keep me reading。 i understand with a book like this you want to put as much information as you can for people to form their own opinions， but after a while it just wasn't interesting。 also the final two chapters were not enjoyable to me at all。 i understand that sometimes there are villains and unsympathetic characters in all stories， real or fiction， but there was just too much i found negative or unlikeable to even feel for the individuals spotlighted。on to the next！ 。。。more
Paul Nolan
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A difficult topic approached with sensitivity and balance。 The personal stories contained in this book are authentic because they are so distinctly human: imperfect and conflicting。 A valuable read for those looking to deepen their understanding of one of the ascending moral and societal issues of the coming decade。
Layth
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Brilliant！
Lou
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Ever since my law degree I have been interested in the topic of euthanasia， assisted suicide and assisted dying; these are often used interchangeably but are in actuality different。 Under Section I Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights （ECHR） （formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms） we are granted the 'Right to Life'。 So， it can be argued， why don't we have the Right to Die？ Why should others who don't feel or understand the pain of the Ever since my law degree I have been interested in the topic of euthanasia， assisted suicide and assisted dying; these are often used interchangeably but are in actuality different。 Under Section I Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights （ECHR） （formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms） we are granted the 'Right to Life'。 So， it can be argued， why don't we have the Right to Die？ Why should others who don't feel or understand the pain of the conditions some people face on a daily basis be allowed to decide that we should be kept alive and our life prolonged with endless drugs， treatments operations and so forth？ I think there's also an argument that Article 3 of the ECHR —prohibition of torture—which states that one shall not be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment， could be argued as coming into play in situations where people are suffering terribly due to drugs companies and the medical field prolonging the inevitable。 We should have the autonomy to make this difficult decision ourselves and on our own terms。A growing list of countries now allow assisted dying in one form or another and I hope this list continues to grow; of course， the correct safeguards should be in place and the strict criteria met to deter individuals from abusing or playing the system。 This is a compelling and beautifully written investigation into the Right to Die movement exploring a delicate topic that has the potential to be divisive。 Award-winning journalist Katie Engelhart explores one of our most abiding taboos: that of assisted dying。 From Avril， the 80-year-old British woman illegally importing pentobarbital， to the Australian doctor dispensing suicide manuals online， Engelhart travels the world to hear the stories behind this contentious moral dilemma。 At once intensely troubling and profoundly moving， The Inevitable interrogates our most uncomfortable moral questions。 Should a paralyzed teenager be allowed to end her life？ Should we be free to die painlessly before dementia takes our mind？ But the book also does something more。 In examining our end， it sheds crucial light on what it means to flourish and live。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Katrina Reads
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Thought-provoking and full of feeling。It makes you look inward at your own views and personal preferences， whilst trying to understand that of others， in various different positions and stages of life。It took me a while to get through this book。 Purely because the subject matter is so intense and sensitive。 Katie Engelhart's writing is very matter of fact and to the point， which I actually think is needed。 Less fussing around and trying to avoid the subject。An interesting read， no matter which s Thought-provoking and full of feeling。It makes you look inward at your own views and personal preferences， whilst trying to understand that of others， in various different positions and stages of life。It took me a while to get through this book。 Purely because the subject matter is so intense and sensitive。 Katie Engelhart's writing is very matter of fact and to the point， which I actually think is needed。 Less fussing around and trying to avoid the subject。An interesting read， no matter which side of the debate you stand。 。。。more
Jeannine
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