Customer Reviews

Arguing Euthanasia: The Controversy Over Mercy Killing, Assisted Suicide, And The "Right To Die"

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Very thorough. Covers the Dutch model, the history of events in Oregon, and, best of all, includes the viewpoints from the gravely ill and their loved ones.

This is probably the most comprehensive and balanced book on this subject that is available.

It goes without saying that this is an immensely difficult subject--one about which I have many conflicting thoughts--so it was very gratifying to have someone present the relevant issues in such a clear and balanced way. Thanks to Jonathan Moreno for this book.

This book gave lots and lots of arguments that were very nice and well thoughtout, but it often seemed that the point-counterpoint "arguing" was a little redundant. The whole book consisted of an article or an event that had to do with the ethics of euthanasia and two people with conflicting views would write why. I wish that the book had some documented dialog between the two opinions. It was a little boring reading the same opinions over and over again. "euthanasia as long as it is consentual and necessary should be permitted yada yada yada" "killing another innocent being should not be permitted at all because it is murder yada yada yada" Each and every writer was very elegant and well spoken, but I simply wish there was more dialog between the two people, not simply between book editors.

Jonathan D. Moreno, PhD, editor
Arguing Euthanasia:
The Controversy over Mercy Killing, Assisted Suicide,
and the "Right to Die"

(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995) 251 pages

A collection of 19 articles by well-known authors such as Timothy Quill,
Nat Hentoff, Betty Rollin, Ronald Dworkin, Sidney Hook, Daniel Callahan,
H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Margaret Pabst Battin, Dan Brock, & Leon Kass.
Both sides of the debate are well represented.
And this format--presenting complete articles--
gives more space to each thinker than other 'both-sides' collections,
which usually give each author only 2 or 3 pages.
This book could be a good introduction to the issues,
but it does not break any new ground.

If you would like to read other books on these themes,
search the Internet for the following precise expression:
"Books on the Right-to-Die"

James Leonard Park, advocate of the right-to-die with careful safeguards.