With the End in Mind

I got to the end of Kathryn Mannix's book with just one thought - I wish I'd been a palliative consultant... An essential read for all of us who are going to die. And that is all of us... A reminder that talking about death is an Act of Love Greg Wise `Extraordinary and profoundly moving. Is it not often that a book commends itself because you sense quite simply that the writer is a good person, this is one such. Any reader will come away with the wish that they will be cared for at the end by someone with Mannix's imaginative sympathy and matter-of-fact generosity of perception' Rowan Williams, New Statesman `The stories read like fiction, the life in each shines through and the characters practically leap off the page. It is incredibly moving, of course, but what it isn't is miserable. Yes this is a book about death, but it is also a book about joy. There aren't all that many books that change the way you see the world. This book really might. It will make you want to do a better job of loving and living. It will make you want to be kinder. And it will make you want to cherish every precious moment of your precious life.' Sunday Times `In the last few years, there has been a crowd of books by doctors, scientists and writers that have sought to show us different, kinder ways of ending: Atul Gawande, Oliver Sacks, Henry Marsh... the list is long. Now Kathryn Mannix joins this distinguished group. Mannix's aim is to shed a soft, clear light on a subject too often avoided. Mild, tender and conciliatory, I would like her to be my compassionate, wise doctor when I lie dying.' Observer `Illuminating and beautiful... Mannix is good company, with a sound eye for an interesting anecdote and a sure ear for language. It's not a gloomy book... Essential reading for anyone who will encounter death, and that means all of us.' Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Times