SELF-HELP

The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom

by L.S Dugdale

HarperOne. Jul. 2020. 272p. ISBN 9780062932631. $27.99. SELF-HELP

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In her many years of practice, Columbia University physician Dugdale has seen a lot of death, and here she rails against the overly medicalized way of dying, which is prolonged by unnecessary resuscitations and other intrusive interventions. Instead, she guides readers toward taking a holistic approach to this final stage by accepting the finitude of life, developing meaningful rituals, and involving their communities in end-of-life care. The overarching theme of the book is that to die well, one must live well, and that living well entails determining what ultimately matters and going through each day with purpose.

VERDICT A readable and inspiring manual for living one’s days fully and dying well.

Reviewed by Deborah Bigelow, Director Emerita, Leonia P.L., NJ , May 02, 2020

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