by Diane Rehm
First published 2021
Diane Rehm examines the contentious debate over medical aid in dying through extensive conversations with those closest to the issue. The veteran broadcaster speaks with terminally ill patients facing end of life decisions and their family members grappling with impossible choices. She interviews physicians navigating ethical boundaries, religious leaders wrestling with moral questions, and advocates on both sides of this divisive movement. Rehm presents the competing arguments without taking sides, allowing readers to hear directly from people living these realities. The book emerged from her work on an acclaimed PBS series covering the same territory. With a personal foreword by John Grisham, the work challenges common misunderstandings about end of life care while asking whether laws should permit terminally ill individuals to end their suffering. Rehm positions death as a natural part of life that deserves the same thoughtful attention we give to living.
Genres: medical, social-issues, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: multiple-perspectives, personal-journey
256 pages · Paperback · Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness