Reviews (1)

Cogent and Authoritative
Editors Kathleen Foley and Herbert Hendin note in their preface to The Case Against Assisted Suicide that much of the dialogue on physician-assisted suicide (PAS) involved one side invoking religious principles against assisted suicide, while the other proponents of PAS invoked feelings compassion and talk about autonomy. This book is a welcome change to that deadlock by investigating in non-sectarian language the very problematic nature of physician-assisted suicide. Even better, the primary contributions are from physicians in end-of-life care or disability advocates and hospice workers, giving the reader an intimate view of the realities of end-of-life care.
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Subjects:  1. Ethics    2. General    3. Medical    4. Medical / Nursing    5. Suicide    6. Terminal Care    7. Euthanasia    8. Medical ethics    9. Science / Earth Sciences   

Reviews (4)

Eye Opener
This book is not only an eye opener but it also expresses Kevorkian frustration with the governments control over medicine. It's kind of nice to see that old people have issues they like to fight for as well. At one point talks of his quest to encourage the government to allow peoplle on death row to donate their bodies to science but the government. Kevorkian is a good man and it saddens me to think what the media has done to him.

a commonsensical discussion of important issues
``Dr. Death'' got his start with campaigns to allow death row inmates to donate their organs (currently organ donation is impossible).If you take a heart, a liver, two kidneys, two corneas, and bone marrow from a willingdonor with a known execution date, and you can save quite a few lives withhis death. Dr. Jack autographed it for me!
I purchased this book here from Amazon and after reading it I sent it, along with a nice letter in support of Kevorkian to him.Within 2 weeks he personally signed and returned my book to me.Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    2. Euthanasia    3. Executions and executioners    4. General    5. Organ donors    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Right to die    8. Sociology    9. Suicide    10. Medical ethics   

Subjects:  1. College students    2. Mental health    3. Prevention    4. Psychology    5. Suicidal behavior    6. Suicide    7. United States   

Reviews (2)

Not What I was looking For...
I would not say this book is terrible-there is alot of good stuff in the last few chapters to educate all-I was just a little disappointed in what seemed to me the long drawn out story of Ms. Ross. I applaud her for her courage to reach out to those in need and share her experiences but, I think less of her story would have gotten the point across.Maybe someone who is in a situation similar to hers would find some comfort here.There is alot of information in the later chapters for therapists who are unfamiliar with suicide grief to benefit from and would greatly help those in need with such.

A Bright Beacon
"Life After Suicide: A Ray of Hope for Those Left Behind" is abright beacon on a dark subject. The colorful cover caught myattention--yellows and pinks and an inspiring sunrise. So it is with thecontents of Ms. Ross's personal account of her husband's death. Her writingis clear as *white glass* in helping those of us struggling to move onafter losing a loved one this way.Read more

Subjects:  1. Death, Grief, Bereavement    2. Family relationships    3. Loss (Psychology)    4. Psychological Aspects Of Bereavement    5. Psychological aspects    6. Psychology    7. Psychopathology - General    8. Sociology    9. Suicidal Behavior    10. Suicide    11. Suicide victims    12. Coping with death & bereavement   

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Juvenile literature    3. Life Stages - Teenagers    4. Psychology    5. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    6. Sociology    7. Suicidal behavior    8. Suicide    9. Youth    10. Life Skills & Personal Awareness, General Studies   

Reviews (1)

Thoughtful, Important Book
One of the hardest things for those left behind after a loved one commits suicide is to find the peace and understanding to forgive that loved one.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Case Studies    3. Psychology    4. Suicidal behavior    5. Suicide    6. Coping with personal problems    7. Self-Help / Death, Grief, Bereavement   

Reviews (6)

Warm, compassionate guidance
This book is like feeling the steady hand of a warm, compassionate friend who will walk with you through every step-all the way from surviving the agony of your loss, helping you cope, recover, be resilient, and eventually find positive new meaning and purpose in your life. Is especially valuable for families and close friends of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack, and those who have lost loved ones in the military.

a sudden loss is not the end
This layperson's textbook provides a structure from which a person can understand and evolve from loss in life's journey.The various stages of grief, as described by Dr. Jozefowski, can be traveled to and from.This process is validated within the pages, allowing the griever to realize that others have discovered similar reactions. a very helpful book
My husband and I were given this book by the counselor we have seen since our daughter died.We both found it helpful.I do have to admit that I struggled with chapter 1 and was a bit lost for awhile.If you findyourself in the same predicament, continue reading and it becomes muchclearer by chapter 2.Highly recommended for its advice on how to makesome sense out of a tragedy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bereavement    2. Death    3. Death / Grief / Consolation    4. Death, Grief, Bereavement    5. General    6. Grief    7. Psychological Aspects Of Bereavement    8. Psychological aspects    9. Psychology    10. Coping with death & bereavement    11. Counselling    12. Psychology & Psychiatry / Suicide   

Reviews (3)

Who Killed Virginia Woolf - Inside The Mind of a Genius
Virginia Woolf, born to Leslie and Julie Stephen in 1862, came into a world that was stacked against her chances of emotional success.Both her parents and close family members had emotional problems she could not avoid.This background formed a vital part in preventing Virginia from forming a close bond with her mother.The result of this was that she suffered from unresolved emotional problems for the rest of her life. Great Insight on Virginia Woolf
After seeing "The Hours" I knew I had to read more on Ms Woolf. What a great woman she was. What a great tragedy when the world lost her. This book had to be written
When I taught a graduate seminar on Virginia Woolf at Iowa State University, I told my students to read this book if they wanted, as students always do, to understand the multitude of reasons for Woolf's suicide.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Literary    5. Suicide    6. Women    7. Psychology    8. Women's studies    9. Biography    10. Psychoanalysis   

Subjects:  1. Juvenile literature    2. Mental Illness    3. Prevention    4. Psychology    5. Suicidal behavior    6. Suicide    7. Teenagers    8. United States    9. Coping with personal problems    10. Life Skills & Personal Awareness, General Studies    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Counseling   

Subjects:  1. Bereavement    2. Christianity    3. Christianity - Christian Life - General    4. Christianity - Christian Life - Suffering & Grief    5. Death / Grief / Consolation    6. Death, Grief, Bereavement    7. Psychological aspects    8. Religion    9. Religious aspects    10. Suicide    11. Christian Interest    12. Christian spirituality    13. Religion / Christian Life   

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Christianity - Pastoral Counseling    4. Church work with the bereaved    5. Moral and ethical aspects    6. Religion    7. Religion - Christian Life    8. Religion - Ministry & Pastoral Resources    9. Religious aspects    10. Suicide    11. Christian ministry & pastoral activity   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    3. Juvenile Nonfiction    4. Juvenile literature    5. Psychological aspects    6. Social Issues - Suicide    7. Social Problems (General) (Young Adult)    8. Suicidal behavior    9. Suicide    10. Teenagers   

Reviews (5)

Fascinating story...but also frustrating
I won't repeat what previous reviewers have said, but the book on the merits of Tammy's story itself is worthwhile.She lead an extraordinary, tragic life, both in the choices she's made (especially in her love life) and in her parent's extreme permissive attitude.This book illustrates what can happen when parents stubbornly exist in a fog of denial and allow excessive freedoms to children who are too young to know better for themselves.It also portrays a highly sensitive and intelligent girl who seems to be hell-bent on self-destruction.Tammy seemed to have some insight in her pattern of cruel, domineering boyfriends, but seemed to lack the impetus to change her ways.
A puzzling and sad portrait of a confused era
Melanie Bellah's story of her daughter Tammy's life and death is moving but tragic, not least because Bellah seems unaware of the role her ectraordinarily permissive parenting seems to have played in her sensitive daughter's suicide. The author writes with enormous depth and compassion about her daughter's struggles, but at no point during Tammy's teenage years does it appear that firm boundaries were set or that Bellah and her husband attempted to intervene on their daughter's behalf. Frustrating, poorly written, and mildly interesting
This is a frustrating book, which is only augmented by the fact that it is poorly and inconsistent in its' writing. The author, who is Tammy's mom, pleads ignorance thoughout of her daughter's troubles. Come on...the girl tries to commit suicide once, she's screwing everyone in Berkeley including teachers from her school and man after man who verbally abuses her. Her feeling of self-worth is tied to whatever man she is dating... she careens into love within a week of meeting someone. I know times were different then, but any parent should be able to tell that their daughter sleeping with drug addicts and teachers 20 years their senior isn't all right in the world. Additionally, the girl was taking 10-12 valium and 10-12 darvon a day. Even if they didn't know the ill effects of these drugs yet, they HAD to know that this wasn't right. I find it hard to believe that Tammy showed no outward signs of problems...just her mental state with regard to men should have been a clue.I'm sorry to say, but I think that Melanie and Bob were poor parents who ran a too permissive house and their unstable daughter didn't get the discipline and structure she so desperately needed. They never pushed her to do anything (they didn't want her to fail...what's that telling her?)and never really laid down rules (Yes, you may not be able to stop your daughter from sleeping with the school administrator, but you don't have to condone it by letting her sleep over all the time!). Read more

Subjects:  1. 1954-1973    2. Bellah, Tammy,    3. Biography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. California    6. Case studies    7. Suicidal behavior    8. Suicide victims    9. Teenage girls    10. Bellah, Tammy    11. Diaries    12. United States    13. Family relationships    14. Teenagers    15. Berkeley (Calif.)    16. Social conditions    17. 20th century   

Reviews (2)

A must read book on the subject
This is probably the best book on the subject that I've seen.It doesn't just dogmatically take a stand, but expreses a real understanding of the various positions that have been taken within the Christian tradition and explains their strengths and weaknesses.If you don't have much background in this area, this book is for you, and if you are a scholar in this area, you can still learn from this book.I highly recommend it.

Best resource I've seen
I have read a variety of books on this topic and must say that this is the best resource I've seen, not just for Christians, but for those of any or no religious belief. It looks at the full range of Christian and secular arguments for and against assisted suicide and euthansia, as well as a middle position.Moreover, it goes on to challenge readers to move beyond simplistic solutions and to emerge with a view they can support in good conscience. It includes reflections on the role of physicians at the end of life, ways in which to limit technology, and whether upholding the sanctity of life requires Christians to extend it for as long as possible. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anglican Communion    2. Assisted suicide    3. Christianity    4. Christianity - General    5. Christianity - Theology - Ethics    6. Doctrines    7. Episcopal Church    8. Ethics    9. Euthanasia    10. Philosophy Of Christianity    11. Religion    12. Religion - Contemporary Issues    13. Religion - Socialissues    14. Religious aspects    15. Self-Help    16. Suicide    17. United States    18. Christian moral & pastoral theology    19. Ethics & moral philosophy    20. Medicine   

Reviews (5)

Reads like a self-help seminar
This book focuses a great deal on the illness that drives a person to suicide - namely, depression. Although that is helpful in trying to make sense of a senseless act, the book itself reads too much like a self-help seminar, full of repeated affirmations that the vicitims are not to blame, that they will eventually move on with their lives, and that things will get better. To me, that was stating the obvious but did little to help in the immeidate aftermath of the suicide. The book also speaks a lot about the rights of suicide surviors and that as a group, they have not formed enough of a coalition to gain attention and funding, as did MADD. At the end of the book, the author reveals that she and a group of other survivors have created such a coalition, so the feeling I got was of self-promotion. I was also a little disturbed by the assertions made in the book regarding suicide statistics without references to where the information was obtained. One caveat: The issue I read was published in 1990, so perhaps a more recent version has been improved.

Life Saver
On Dec 1,...I came home from work to find my husband had hanged himself...Everything in my world came to a screeching halt, and I was numb.As there is no "Death For Dummies" book, I spent hours in bookstores trying to find information on surviving a suicide.I was desperate to find something that would help me process the myriad feelings I had, and this book was the best I read.I learned through this book that all the hurt, betrayal, anger, and profound sadness were normal, and that I wasn't insane to feel all of them 1000 times a day.Additionally, since grief can impair your cognitive functions, this book was very easy to read.For any person who has lost anyone to suicide, this book should be the first they reach for.

Two-person Review, kind of
My brother took his own life on 8/6/02.My niece subsequently read this book and found it extremely helpful, especially in its ability to make her feel understood, normal in her reactions, and less alone.I picked it up at our local library, and I could see why she found it helpful.That's enough to earn five stars from me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bereavement    2. Death / Grief / Consolation    3. Family relationships    4. Psychological aspects    5. Self-Help    6. Suicide    7. Suicide victims   

Reviews (4)

I wish I had known...
It wasn't until I was a few pages into the first chapter, when I realized that this is Vilar's book entitled "A Messsage from God in the Atomic Age", with a new title.Now, I have both of her books, or rather, 2 of the same books.This seems rather curious to me.

memoir and depression as art
Startling, this is a visionary memoir of Puerto Rico's political, social and cultural wars for its identity told by the heir to one of the most important heroine and political leader in Latin America in this his century. Vilar is an unmistakable talent and this book an extraordinary and unusual example of how memoir as therapy becomes memoir as art. The word depression will not mean the same to you after you read this book.

the ladies' gallery
This is a beautifully written memoir by the grand-daughter of Puerto Rican nationalist Lolita Lebron.Alternating chapters, Vilar presents her family history as well as her personal memoirs from inside of a mental hospital. This is not necessarily meant to be a political project.Nonetheless, iteffectively captures the the emotion and experience of a woman who hasinherited a heavy political legacy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Case studies    6. Family relationships    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. Mentally ill    10. Mentally ill women    11. Puerto Rican women    12. Suicide    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies - Cuba    2. Cuba    3. Death / Grief / Consolation    4. Death, Grief, Bereavement    5. History - General History    6. Political aspects    7. Social History    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. Suicide    12. 20th century    13. Social Science / Sociology / General    14. c 1800 to c 1900    15. suicide; Cuban history; Cuban diaspora in Miami; Cuba; Self-destruction; Suicide and Slavery; Domestic violence; Gender roles in Cuba; Cuban revolution   

Subjects:  1. Ethics    2. Euthanasia    3. General    4. Health & Fitness    5. Medical    6. Medical / Nursing    7. Suicide    8. Terminal Care    9. Medical / Ethics   

Reviews (3)

Excellent insight into the tortured mind
Mr. Carlson has successfully assembled the definitive universe of suicide notes offering deep insight into the darkened souls that reach the final conclusion that life is no longer worth living.For professionals working with such distraught patients, this book is a must.Nowhere in literature has any other author captured the entire essence of what it is that compels a person to take his or her life.Mr. Carlson brings his reader face-to-face with the overwhelming sense of helplessness that runs as a common thread through the lives of his suicide victims.

Gripping and insightful
I think there is a macabe side to all of us. Whenever we hear of a suicide, the first question we ask is always why? But do we really want to know? Do we really want to hear what pushed someone to the brink, to do the unthinkable? "I'm in the Tub Gone" is exactly that. A look at the last thoughts of those who chose to end it all and move past whatever it was that drove them there. Some of the notes are truly sad and crying out for help. Its a shame that their loved ones missed the signs. There are others that are vengeful and mean spirited and are the ultimate act of revenge. Regardless, the book is powerful and gripping and yet at the same time deeply disturbing. Its overall effect is to give us an upclose look at something we really didnt want to see. Is it worth reading? Yes but remember, its not something you will be able to simply put down and forget either.

Chilling
I'm In The Tub, Gone by Richard James Carlson is a collection of authentic suicide letters. Mr. Carlson, a former police officer, offers us a rather macabre look into the very private world of those who have chosen to end their lives. Their final words are put on paper (errors and all) exactly as they were written. These suicide letters are undeniably chilling, sad, heartfelt, and terrifying. To read them is akin to driving by a car wreck, you can't turn away from it. You can't help but wonder what might have led these poor souls to take their own lives.
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Subjects:  1. Psychology    2. Suicide    3. Self-Help / General   

Subjects:  1. Clinical Psychology    2. Psychology    3. Suicide    4. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology