Living with Death and Dying (Paperback)

~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (Author) "THE MATERIAL for this book comes from a decade of work with terminally ill adults and children whom we attended in hospitals, nursing homes, and,..." (more)
Key Phrases: preparatory grief, screaming room, Beth Ann, Susan Bach

Editorial Reviews

Review

Time Her work has vanquished the conspiracy of silence that once shrouded the hospital's terminal wards....In so doing, it has shown how, and with what quiet grace, the human spirit composes itself for extinction. -- Review

Review

TimeHer work has vanquished the conspiracy of silence that once shrouded the hospital's terminal wards....In so doing, it has shown how, and with what quiet grace, the human spirit composes itself for extinction.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (June 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684839369
• ISBN-13: 978-0684839363
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #448,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful and inciteful book., September 14, 1999

By A Customer

I read this book back in 1973, that is . the first publication of her clinical study. It was wonderful for me to be given a clear and inciteful understanding of the people around the loved one dying, let alone understanding the probable emotions of the person dying. As a caregiver, a term not used back then, I had no knowledge of the stages people go through in the event of a terminal disease. These "stages" were extremly helpful to me in understanding my own emotions and in caring for the sick one. This book was a God send for me.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars contains everything you need to know about death & dying, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This is another one of Dr. Kubler-Ross' sensitive books on death and dying. Her informed and emphathic approach to the topic should be read by everyone since death and dying are universal. You learn about the functioning of the human mind, the unique aspects of our existence, and will emerge from the experience enriched and with fewer anxieties about your own life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very insightful and sympathetic written work that explores humanity and humanism by way of living with death and dying. , September 4, 2005

By	Christian Engler (Woburn, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The data and writings of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross are really perceptive and affecting, because they show the living what can be possible versus what just is, as well as how life can and should be lived: to the fullest and most meaningful way possible. And with all Kubler-Ross's previous books, Living with Death and Dying is no exception. In this, her fifth book, she looks at the progression of palliative care by way of parent-pediatric involvement (see Section III, Parent Care: Total Involvement in the Care of a Dying Child). In it, a mother movingly recounts the dying of her daughter with leukemia and all the stresses that were attached to the situation. But what mitigated the sadness of the inevitable was the direct involvement of the parents in the care of their daughter to the bitter end. And where a loss of this magnitude can often cause separartion and ulitmately divorce, the unified confrontation by the husband and wife and the other healthy child (in this particular case), actually solidified the nucleus of the family; the bond became tighter and unbreakable, which was very nice to know. But though the loss was understandably painful, it was also a gift, for it brought about a heightened acuteness of love and living, not just through words but by actions and the uncommon stepping outside of the 'comfort' zone of their day-to-day reality. Also interesting was the in-depth exploration of drawing-analysis of the soma (the body) and the psyche (the soul) in regards to terminally-ill patients and those deeply psychologically wounded (read Section II, The Use of Drawings Made at Significant Times in One's Life). It is a great illustration of nonverbal communication and truly eye-opening when you explore the 'hidden' messages that are not as concealed as one might think. Because of the merciful candidness, courage and knowledge of patients, families, clergy and medical staff, like Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, among others, they have mentally brought readers to the brink of death by their own experiences and observations. Through death and dying, they have taught that openness and candor are imperative and that compassion and goodness does not have to begin when death and dying enters the scene.