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The Art of Dying | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter Fenwick
Creator: Elizabeth Fenwick
Publisher: Continuum UK
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $10.76
You Save: $6.19 (37%)
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Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 40117
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0826499236
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.9
EAN: 9780826499233
ASIN: 0826499236
Publication Date: September 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
BA new book to help the dying, their loved ones and their health care workers better understand the dying process and to come to terms with death itself./B PPIThe Art of Dying/I is a contemporary version of the medieval IArs Moriendi/I--a manual on how to achieve a good death. Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. His most compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-death experiences and deathbed visions of the dying person, as well as the experiences of hospice and palliative care workers and relatives of dying people. Dr. Fenwick believes that consciousness may be independent of the brain and so able to survive the death of the brain, a theory which has divided the scientific community. The "problem with death" is deeply rooted in our culture and the social organization of death rituals. Fenwick believes that with serious engagement and through further investigation of these phenomena, he can help change attitudes so that we in the West can face up to death, and embrace it as a significant and sacred part of life. We have become used to believing that we have to shield each other from the idea of death. Fear of death means we view it as something to be fought every step of the way. PPAimed at a broad popular readership, IThe Art of Dying/I looks at how other cultures have dealt with death and the dying process (The Tibetan "death system", Swedenborg, etc.) and compares this with phenomena reported through recent scientific research. It describes too the experiences of health care workers who are involved with end of life issues who feel that they need a better understanding of the dying process, and more training in how to help their patients die well by overcoming the common barriers to a good death, such as unfinished business and unresolved emotions of guilt or hate. PPFrom descriptions of the phenomena encountered by the dying and those around them, to mapping out ways in which we can die a "good death", this book is an excellent basis for helping people come to terms with death.
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| Customer Reviews:
Bringing Death to Light September 22, 2008
John Zxerce (Colorado ^^^)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
Dylan Thomas's feelings surrounding his father's death were "Rage, rage against the dying of the light". Death was something to be fought. It's an enemy, not a friend to be welcomed. While the Fenwicks might not swing to the opposite side, they do suggest our culture is obsessed with prolonging life. As a result, we have lost the ability to help people to die a good death. "Hi-tech around the deathbed is sometimes more concerned with the feelgood factor of the relatives and the medical profession, who need to feel they have done everything they can, than with the peace and comfort of the dying," br / br /The authors claim 67 per cent of people die in a hospital among staff untrained and unequipped to answer their emotional, social and spiritual needs. They write, "We realize the value of a 'birth companion' during childbirth. Perhaps we should now consider that the 'death companion' may have an equally important part to play." br / br /However, they seem nebulous regarding what this means. They suggest a companion is someone who is there, not who necessarily does anything specific. While I agree that "Holding their hands and talking to them may give more comfort than we realize.", at the same time, are there specific things that should be considered in light of death? That is, are there claims about death that each person should evaluate? br / br /It's been said death is an interesting statistic - it's one out of one. The truth is, death has a sobering quality. A brush with it can shake a person to their core. This is what I wish the authors had spent more time on - that is, the clarifying affect of death. When facing death, what becomes most important? If there is an after-life, what seems most reasonable to conclude about it? Is it possible to be wrong about one's view of death? If so, how do we not only comfort and reassure, but do so truthfully? Perhaps those are questions better suited for a hospital chaplain. If so, it would have been helpful to have a few pages on how to select one, or even how to select a spiritual guide well before death. br / br /The strongest part of the book is the practical suggestions for those dying br / br /1 Forgive others and seek their forgiveness; heal broken relationships, however late in the day br /2 Search out old friends with whom you have lost touch br /3 Value life without clinging to it, and live each day as if it were your last br /4 Die where you would most like to - whether at home or in a hospice; alone or surrounded by family br /5 Trust your instincts; patients know when their end is near br / br /For relatives and friends br / br /1 Talk to the dying about death if they wish; don't go to great lengths to avoid the issue br /2 Make an effort to let go, giving the dying permission to leave in peace br /3 Holding hands and talking can give more comfort than you think br /4 Don't be so careful not to say the wrong thing that you leave the right thing unsaid br /5 Don't shield children: prepare them for a death, and allow them to say a final goodbye
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