End-of-Life Books

Editors Kathleen Foley and Herbert Hendin note in their preface to The Case Against Assisted Suicide that much of the dialogue on physician-assisted suicide (PAS) involved one side invoking religious principles against assisted suicide, while the other proponents of PAS invoked feelings compassion and talk about autonomy. This book is a welcome change to that deadlock by investigating in non-sectarian language the very problematic nature of physician-assisted suicide. Even better, the primary contributions are from physicians in end-of-life care or disability advocates and hospice workers, giving the reader an intimate view of the realities of end-of-life care.

The book is divided into four sections:

The first section has an impressive line-up. Bioethicist Dan Callahan's essay on compassion and its limits undercuts some of the strongest arguments that PAS proponents make. He is joined by Yale Kamisar's legal critique of PAS, and also an essay on the patient-doctor relationship by Leon Kass, the head of the Presidential Committee of Bioethics.

The second section is the most disturbing as it examines the reality of physician assisted suicide in Oregon, the Netherlands, and during a period of time in the Northwest Territory of Australia. Every essay is written by one or two physicians who practice medicine in the country or state affected by assisted suicide. Running as a theme through all these accounts is the silence surrounding suicides, the squelching of meaningful discussion of suicide alternatives, and the lack of any real oversight.

Upon reading the second section, a PAS proponent may retort, "oh fine, the Dutch and the Oregonians have messed it up, so we'll just improve it in the future." The third part of the book, however, has several articles that show that the problems in Oregon and elsewhere are symptomatic of inherent vulnerabilities in the disabled population. Diane Coleman, a disabled lawyer and founder of the disability organization Not Dead Yet, has a particularly good piece on the struggles of the disabled in America to obtain proper care and the threats posed to them by institutionalized suicide.

The fourth section has a brief history on the first modern hospice in London, and how its mission has involved, often from the experiences of their first patients. The last piece is by editor Kathleen Foley, who summarizes some of the current American initiatives on improving end of life care, and also how both physicians' and the public's views on death and its psychology have evolved, and where they need to improve.

The Case Against Assisted Suicide is a well-organized volume that brings together a very complicated issue and develops a powerful argument for how we need to practice medicine and care for some of society's most vulnerable members.

At first glance it would seem that THE CASE OF TERRI SCHIAVO: ETHICS AT THE END OF LIFE is another focus on her case alone - but actually its focus on end-of-life ethical questions holds far more meaning for the living than for the dead of the past. The ethical dilemmas surrounding end of life are many - and are surveyed in depth in a coverage which uses not just Terri's case but similar cases to expose issues, struggles and obstacles to quality of life and survival. Essays cover everything from legal issues and points to ethical concerns.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

In the year 2004 the great Saint Anthony's Messenger Press based in Cincinnati published these six things we Catholics MUST do to end the immoral state homicide which the USA uniquely permits itself without reason and against justice.

This substantial pamphlet bears the Nihil Obstat of Franciscan Father Donald Miller, the Imprimi potest of Franciscan Provincial Father Fred Link and the Imprimatur of the Archbishop of Cincinnati the Most Reverend Carl Moeddel, VG. Reflecting current orthodox Roman Catholic moral theology as also summarized in the Compendium, etc., this excellent resource was compiled by Robert H. Hopcke, and includes resources such as other books like the powerful and well-known statement by Antoinette Bosco Choosing Mercy: A Mother of Murder Victims Pleads to End the Death Penalty and Sister Helen Prejean's famous Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States. SImilar hard copy resources are followed by links to various internet resources which this current format's guidelines do not permit us to directly quote and link, but which includes the Respect Life Organization, Catholics against Capital Punishment, the Community of Sant'Egidio and the United States Conference of CAtholic Bishops, in particular their famous and well-respected Good Friday statement, as well as "Responsibility, Rehabilitation and Restoration."

The six steps include Prayer, Reading and Writing. Please begin by reading this very accessible pamphlet courageously provided by the great Saint Anthony's Press, and pass it out at your parish, including to new members, and especially to your state legislators and government, who might not realize that another urgent Catholic Right to Life issue includes the abolition of the death sentence.

It is a shame for our nation to stand nearly alone in this barbaric and fruitless pratice which merely increases violence and death without building the peace and stability of our society. The rest of the world can only shake their head in wonder, while Jesus weeps once more.

Paul Hessert brilliantly disects the Christian life and separates Christian thinking from the infiltration of secular and religious thought which owes more to the greeks than Christ. Hessert opens up the new testament (and old) in way that leaves you with nothing except trust in God through Christ crucified. A wonderfull exposition on the the Gospel, the real message, and how Paul and the Writers of the new testament try to show the message of Christ crucuified as the Good news ,as a stumbling block to those seeking signs and as foolishness to those seeking wisdom. Starting with Corinthians and moving through Mark and the other Gospel writers and on to the rest of the new testament, Hessert Brilliantly captures the life of the Christian and how we are "in the world but not of the world"

I really believe that Hessert's look at our modern Western world and its related and misguided views of God (both secular and Christian) is outstanding, origional and true to the Gospel. I did find that Hessert can be difficult to read at times often using complicated grammar and long and convoluted sentences. I do believe that the thinking and insights revealed in this book are worth the effort of the read.

I would recommend this book highly to those who will accept a challenge and don't mind being changed in their thinking, because Hessert leaves no Holy Cow alone. This is a tough one, read it with a friend to allow open debate and comment and help with tough thoughts, but well worth the read and highly recomended. This will be a good read for serious studiers of God's word and normal folk like myself, but be warned Hessert won't leave you alone and will seriously challenge you.

As many readers know, Francis and his wife Edith ran a community in the Swiss/ French Alps called L'Abri, which means "The Shelter." The title of this book makes it seem out of date and passe at the beginning of the twenty first century, but in my opinion it's not only Schaeffer's best book (vying with strong contenders like True Spirituality for that title) but also his most prophetic.

This book already includes as an appendix the full text of "The Mark of the Christian" and a second appendix, "Adultery and Apostasy: The Bride and Bridegroom Theme", which alone is worth the price of the book, but this edition includes a second book, The Church Before the Watching World.

Schaeffer views himself as an heir and defender of the Reformation tradition, which could mean many things. What it does mean in his best known works, especially How Should We Then Live? is that he comes off as anti-Catholic--unfairly so almost DaVinci code so. This is exasperated in the video series accompanying the book which was filmed by his son, Franky Schaeffer, who himself later became Eastern Orthodox. But that caveat is no reason to stay away from his books, especially this one, for Schaeffer is the most engaging thinker from this tradition (except maybe John Stott) to come down the pike in a long time.

On the other hand, he's dismissed out of hand by other critics. Numerous readers have pointed out the bits he gets wrong, like blaming St. Thomas Aquinas for introducing the split between nature and grace in Escape from Reason, when a much more obvious candidate would be Descartes. But again, this is no reason to miss a unique and literate thinker whose clear and casual style will leave many readers challenged and enchanted.

This is an up to date relevant text for those who work as volunteers in a hospice program. Foster ably describes how her personal involvement encouraged her to involve others in this valuable work.
I am a hospice nurse and a great deal of Foster's advise is relevant for nurses in Palliative Care practice also.

Great work Elissa

Conservative Enviromentalism is not a hack job which merely dispels the whole enviromental movement out of hand. This book is written by conservationists, who believe fervently that there are better solutions to our ecological problems than passing federal regulation.

Conservative Enviromentalism properly offers solutions at the local level and believes that much of the problems found today should be cured in our neighborhoods and municipalities.

The real kicker about this book though, is their concept of the "Ledger," which use the basic double-entry accounting method to help quantify the costs and gains of environmental regulation.

This book is a truly remarkable work, which will have lasting impact in the ecological debate.

THis is a good read and I would recommend to anyone interested in reading religious material and are interested in standing up for our rights in this country as Christians and believe this country was founded on Christian views as our Forfathers did. Rod Parsley is a great Minister and has some strong views on his Godly beliefs and it shows in his writings for sure.
Jeff

"Self-enlightenment is just around the corner. Go search for it."
The search stops here. 'Dead Beautiful Truth' , brings it you in a terse manner and within hours of reading it. A story that belongs to us, every individual, who is searching for his aim and purpose of life. One lives through the chapters and dies with an ultimate truth of life. The story is highly unpredictable throughout, presenting a hallucinating journey of astral travels ( the after affects of a drug dose) which leaves you flabbergasted as it ends. One can easily identify with the characters and the situations presented.

DBT is based upon a strong and a 'reality' theory called " Theory of Competition and Stakes" , researched and formulated by the authors Varun and Adesh.It is a story based on a diary written by a teenager called 'Fi', a person who's ultimate aim is to discover the reason behind this life.Fi, a drug addicted teenager, who is just back from the rehabilitation center, falls into it all over again due to his recidivist tendency. He wants to experience the reason and energy behind everything, to an extent that death seems to be better than life to him. Fi believes that every event in this world , every minute action and behavior of human beings is based upon a 'stake' for which they are 'competing'. He believes that a LSD trip cannot get him into a 'out-of-body experience', until he really experiences it. Fi's astral travel experience takes him into the body of the central character of this novel,' Scorpio'. Fi, keeps switching in and out of Scorpio's body and lives through Scorpio's experiences. This character makes you believe that there is a life beyond death and it is far far beautiful and unimaginable than this life.His story takes you to a mystery ride with a tinge of selflessness , which leaves you in a state of illusion or may be hallucination. The kind of world that Scorpio lives in, is as intricate as your brain and is so well described, that the reader wishes to live the life his way, at the end of the novel. Scorpio, works for a mystic personality called 'God', who's silence and beliefs may terrify the reader initially, but it gradually gets imbibed in you , that this is the way life is and the truth lies in front of you. 'Plot' and 'J', again, are two cryptic characters used beautifully by the authors to glue the chapters and the episodes.
DBT has umpteen surprises and U-turns in the box for the readers, to remain glued till the end.The story is tightly coupled with the characters and ineffably presented , surpassing your expectations and intuitions of what would happen next. The hard-to-be-believed-truth, that the story reveals would stick to your mind, heart and soul. It presents a truth that every individual may know, but is far away from even acknowledging it , due to the sheer fear of 'DEATH'. The end leaves you perplexed about the existence of God and the aim of this Life, and an urge to discover it.The authors believe that people who need the answer to the following questions, may fall in love with the stuff written.

"What is the ultimate aim of my life? ", "What do i have to accomplish in my life ?", "Why i hate or love anything ?", "What am i doing here?", "What is mind and my perception?", "Why do i do things and take decisions?", "Am i free or there is a destiny for me?"...

There are no words to decsribe the loss or loosing of a loved one. What Mr. Edwards has done places a whole new emphasis on death (our physical) and life afterwards. As with all his books, God's love comes through with every word. I will never look at death the same way again.