Customer Reviews

Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America

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Terrific reading, written with compelling pace and clarity. It crosses genres from history to reflective social action, and may be the most important self-help book of recent times. A great primer for must-have discussions at family gatherings, coffee klatches, and book clubs.

"Unplugged" is a book everyone who is going to die should read. It tells you what you need to do to make sure your wishes are respected when it comes to end-of-life decisions. Doing that will spare your loved ones unnecessary anguish. This book, believe it or not, is an engaging page turner and my 90-year-old mother just read it. We took its advice, talked about her wishes, and she now has a notarized health care power-of-attorney, giving us both much peace of mind. All this thanks to Colby's wonderfully written, timely, important book.

The right-to-die debate is once again tackled; this time by a lawyer who represented Nancy Cruzan in the first right- to-die case heard by the Supreme Court. While Nancy Cruzan's struggles were chronicled in a prior book by Colby, Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right To Die In America offers a broader perspective on the topic, moving beyond Cruzan's struggle to offer answers to legal, ethical, medical and personal issues involved in the debate. Court records, interviews and the authors' own experiences lend to the discussion of current laws, proposed changes, and their effects on society.

"Unplugged" is superbly written and thoroughly researched. Colby provides an unbiased perspective on complex legal, medical, and ethical issues in terms easily understood by both the lay person and professional. This book is invaluable for anyone who cares about how they or their loved ones experience life - and death.

I found this book to be a page turner, which is a delightful find with a serious subject. It's also balanced, and does not judge either the right or the left. I am recommending to friends.

Of all the books written about the right-to-die in our country this is by far one of the best. Written by the lawyer for Nancy Cruzan, it is a thoughtful, unbiased, and informative book that addresses all the issues surrounding the right-to-die. It looks at both sides of the issues and doesn't take sides (unlike the recent books written by the Schindler and Shiavo families and others surrounding the Terri Schiavo case). It enables the reader to come to their own conclusions on the issue without being preachy. A must read for everyone.......if I could give 6 stars I would!

unplugged delves into timely and essential subject matter with an entertaining, informative, wondrful style of writing. colby's insight to this pertinent topic is beneficial universally, as we all must confront these circumstances at some point in our lives.

Between author William H. Colby's role as the attorney for the family of Nancy Cruzan - who fought for the removal of her feeding tube, when she was in a Persistent Vegetative State 15 years before the Schiavo case dominated national discourse - and "Unplugged"'s subtitle, "Reclaiming our Right to Die in America", you might expect unsubtle advocacy. Colby doesn't give it, however; and although he talks about being impartial at excessive length, he does stick to the facts when the 3 individual cases (Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, and Terri Schiavo) on the right-to-die issue he discusses are brought up.

The most valuable part of the book was the grounding Colby gives in the evolution of Medical Technology and the role this has played in the debate and how it's arisen; it's striking how new these issues are and how much they are dependent on technology. PVS patients weren't sustainable at all in the past - the term wasn't even coined until 1972 - and the different between the extensive surgery for a feeding tube for Quinlan and Cruzan, and the simple procedure for Schiavo, is vast; it may get even simpler tomorrow. Given that debates have turned on how extreme the measures taken are - and how hopeless a situation is - the moral debates are going to continually change as technology develops, a situation Colby illustrates well.

He also shows the potential pitfalls in living wills and the legal mess that still surrounds this issue; his solution is a power of attorney form and discussion with your loved ones. Giving them the power to make decisions and extensive knowledge of what you wanted is a good; a united family with clear knowledge of your desires is unlikely to have trouble carrying them out. Even if the point in the book is repeated ad nauseum.

The book is repetitive, though this is not always his fault - he provides a necessary accounting of the Schiavo case, which can't avoid covering the endless repetitive and futile appeals. All in all, "Unplugged" covers a lot of useful ground that was missed in the shouting atmosphere surrounding the Schiavo case; brief tie-ins of related issues (such as assisted suicide) add to the use of the book not as taking another side in the debate but giving information you can use decided where you stand and what you should do about it.

William H. Colby

Unplugged:

Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America

(New York: American Management Association: [...], 2006) 272 pages

(ISBN: 978-0-8144-0882-7; hardcover)

(Library of Congress call number: RC726.C637 2006)

William Colby is the attorney who represented the Cruzan family

in the famous case of Nancy Cruzan, who was finally allowed to die in 1990.

This book also deals with other right-to-die cases.

Terri Schiavo is given three chapters at the beginning of the book.

Medical technology is now able to keep bodies 'alive'

for many years after the death of the person.

And the law has been slow to respond to these new medical situations.

Some of the other issues explored:

definitions of death, Advance Directives, Do Not Resuscitate orders,

deciding medical care for patients who have lost the capacity to decide for themselves,

the power of doctors to follow their own standard medical procedures,

artificial nutrition and hydration,

opposition to the right-to-die, including the worries of disabled people,

physician assistance in dying, & hospice care.

Colby has written a lucid and informative book

exploring many issues surrounding the right-to-die.

He often explores deep into the historical background of current controversies.

If you would like to read similar books, search the Internet for:

"Books on the Right-to-Die".

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

If you have read William Colby's book Nancy Cruzan, The Long Goodbye, you will find his latest book equally informative. Mr. Colby provides an excellent medical history that has brought us to our current debate about killing vs. allowing individuals to die. He shares recent cases and offers insight to both sides of the issue. This book should be read by anyone who has been faced with making end-of-life care decisions and by all who want to ensure that their end-of-life care is clearly understood.