Berthoud Community Library District

A prominent surgeon argues against modern medical practices that extend life at the expense of quality of life while isolating the dying, outlining suggestions for freer, more fulfilling approaches to death that enable more dignified and comfortable choices.

Barbara Ehrenreich explores how we are killing ourselves to live longer, not better. She describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide our attempts to live a long, healthy life, from the importance of preventive medical screenings to the concepts of wellness and mindfulness, from dietary fads to fitness culture. We tend to believe we have agency over our bodies,...

Explores unexpected death and its role in the cycle of life.

"Following the death of her father, journalist and hospice volunteer Ann Neumann sets out to examine what it means to die well in the United States. If a good death exists, what does it look like? This question lies at the heart of Neumann's rigorously researched and intimately told journey along the ultimate borderland of American life: American death. From church basements to hospital wards to prison cells, Neumann charts the social, political,...

In this illuminating account of how we grieve, Ruth David Konigsberg reveals that everything we thought we knew about confronting loss is wrong. She maintains that people cope with grief thanks largely to the human capacity for resilience, relying heavily on the work of psychologist George Bonanno.

"We have lost the ability to deal with death. Most of our friends and beloved relations will die in a busy hospital in the care of strangers, doctors, and nurses they have known at best for a couple of weeks. They may not even know they are dying, victims of the kindly lie that there is still hope. They are unlikely to see even their family doctor in their final hours, robbed of their dignity and fed through a tube after a long series of excessive...

Offers families, friends, and caregivers of terminally ill patients advice on understanding their needs.

Publisher's description: Discusses the flaws and corruption in the funeral and burial industry in the United States, from exorbitant funeral costs to black market sales of body parts, and provides legal guidelines to burial rights and trends in legal reform.

As a war correspondent in over 150 countries, Rod Nordland was no stranger to death. But after being diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, he found himself confined to a hospital bed and faced with more personal conflicts. This is his own story about persevering even in the most difficult of times.

From award-winning journalist Sherwood comes a fascinating exploration of survival that can help prepare you for life's inevitable struggles, from cancer and crime to car accidents and airplane crashes. Discover how to become the kind of person who survives and thrives with this "must-read" New York Times bestseller that's filled with fascinating true stories and helpful advice (New York Times). Each second of the day, someone in America faces a crisis,...