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Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America
Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America | Anita Hannig
5 posts | 4 read | 5 to read
An intimate investigation of assisted dying in America and what it means to determine the end of our lives.In this groundbreaking book, award-winning cultural anthropologist Anita Hannig brings us into the lives of ordinary Americans who go to extraordinary lengths to set the terms of their own death. Faced with a terminal diagnosis and unbearable suffering, they decide to seek medical assistance in dying--a legal option now available to one in five Americans.Drawing on five years of research on the frontlines of assisted dying, Hannig unearths the uniquely personal narratives masked by a polarized national debate. Among them are Ken, an irreverent ninety-year-old blues musician who invites his family to his death, dons his best clothes, and goes out singing; Derianna, a retired nurse and midwife who treks through Oregon and Washington to guide dying patients across life's threshold; and Bruce, a scrappy activist with Parkinson's disease who fights to expand access to the law, not knowing he would soon, in an unexpected twist of fate, become eligible himself.Lyrical and lucid, sensitive but never sentimental, The Day I Die tackles one of the most urgent social issues of our time: how to restore dignity and meaning to the dying process in the age of high-tech medicine. Meticulously researched and compassionately rendered, the book exposes the tight legal restrictions, frustrating barriers to access, and corrosive cultural stigma that can undermine someone's quest for an assisted death--and why they persist in achieving the departure they desire.The Day I Die will transform the way we think about agency and closure in the face of death. Its colorful characters remind us what we all stand to gain when we confront the hard--and yet ultimately liberating--truth of our mortality.
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451Degrees
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Pickpick

Took me a bit to get through this book but only because I wanted to soak it all in. Only eleven states in the US have legalized M.A.I.D and have given those with terminal illnesses a choice in how they will die. The author spent five years following volunteers who help with the assisted death process and she was able to write about patients stories on why they wanted to use the Death with Dignity Act! A must read for those interested in this!

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Ephemera
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Pickpick

If you live in a state that has an assisted dying law, you might like to read this book. If you have a family member with a terminal illness who wishes to use an assisted dying law, you should definitely read this book. Just about every question you might have about assisted dying is addressed in this book. I live in a state with a death with dignity law and I will use it if need be. Very well written. Five stars.

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451Degrees
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When you start a death doula class and you decide to go to the book store… clerk probably thought I was a bit morbid!💀 I‘ve already read two of these but have loaned them out and will probably never get them back😆

jewright I loved Stiff! I found it fascinating. 2y
MoonWitch94 What is a “death doula”? That sounds so interesting. 2y
Librariana Stiff is a fascinating read. And Caitlin Doughty is a frickin' rock star! Love her 😊 2y
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451Degrees @jewright I‘ve had it on my list for forever! I‘m very interested in finally reading it😊 2y
451Degrees @MoonWitch94 it‘s someone who helps with the dying process and helping family members cope with their grief! Very unknown profession! 2y
451Degrees @Librariana I‘m really excited for Stiff! I love Caitlin‘s writing❤️ she‘s such an inspiration in the death industry! 2y
MoonWitch94 @451Degrees That sounds like a very beautiful (but difficult) profession. 🖤 Grief is such a heavy burden that does not get enough attention or assistance for those suffering. And after losing my Grandmother to cancer in August, sounds like we could‘ve benefited from one. 2y
451Degrees @MoonWitch94 I‘m so sorry to hear about your loss😞 it‘s something in life I feel like we are never truly prepared for but it is so difficult to know what to expect out of grief since we are so out of touch with end of life💔 grief never truly goes away but I hope you have people to rely on on the hard days that will come and go❤️‍🩹 2y
43 likes8 comments
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SW-T
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Pickpick

This was a really good read. Learned a lot. Had no idea how complex and restrictive assisted dying could be, and though some sources of pushback weren‘t surprising, others were. A complicated subject, but it provided a lot of facts in a compassionate manner, without being sentimental.

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SW-T
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Sooo…a couple weeks ago most of my holds came in. When it rains it pours. 😂😂😂Been making my way through an interesting selection.

#ChallengeAccepted #libraryhaul

Ruthiella I don‘t dare put more than four on hold at a time. What a stack! 👍 2y
SW-T @Ruthiella Usually they come in a couple at a time. Guess the stars were aligned or something. They‘re keeping me busy though, so not gonna complain (too much 😂). 2y
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