Intimations of Mortality

'We are not good at talking about death. It's seen as embarrassing, awkward. We don't have the words or conventions. In her brilliant book, Intimations of Mortality: Medical Decision-Making at the End of Life, Barbara A. Reich explains how to talk about death well. Beautifully written, full of humanity and gentleness, the book draws from law, literature, philosophy and the experience of a life well lived to show us how doctors, patients and families can have the conversations they should have about death and the legal framework that can make them possible. This is a hugely important topic. We must do death better, and Reich offers a way of doing this.' Jonathan Herring, DM Wolfe-Clarendon Fellow in Law, Exeter College, University of Oxford 'An essential read for all those who seek to improve end-of-life decision-making – exposing the barriers to good and necessary communication, it enables us to dismantle them and ensure better deaths for ourselves and others.' Jocelyn Downie, James S. Palmer Chair in Public Policy and Law, Dalhousie University 'Professor Barbara Reich has written a thoughtful book to help us 'think well' about death and dying. The author moves from personal stories to the law, from medical dilemmas of brain death and vegetative states to mechanisms like boards and ethics committees to aid medical, family, and ethics decisionmakers. A pleasure to read, this book is perfect for academics and the general public alike.' Barry R. Furrow, Professor of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law 'This insightful, clinically relevant volume does reveal the challenges and obstacles related to the quality of end-of-life care in the US. It should be read by all palliative care physicians, hospice social workers and chaplains, and those seeking a clinically applicable understanding of end-of-life care … Recommended.' A. W. Klink, Choice