An “absolutely magnificent” book (The New Republic)—the fruit of almost two decades of study—that traces the changes in Western attitudes toward death and dying from the earliest Christian times to the present day.A truly landmark study, The Hour of Our Death reveals a pattern of gradually developing evolutionary stages in our perceptions of life in relation to death, each stage representing a virtual redefinition of human nature.Starting ...

Reveals the change in Western man's conception and acceptance of death as evidenced in customs, literature, and art since medieval times.

*NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES—from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti*Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller and New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World ...

In the tradition of Andrew Weil's bestseller Spontaneous Healing, this is a physician's breakthrough medical program for the brain designed to diminish the effect of memory impairment caused by stress, aging, and Alzheimer's disease.As we grow older and experience the stresses of life, at about age 40 many of us begin to have trouble remembering things, concentrating, and generally staying mentally sharp. This book contains a four-part program including nu...

In this short, powerful book, Karen Hitchcock shines a light on ageism in our society. Through some unforgettable case studies, she shows what care for the elderly and dying is really like – both the good and the bad. With honesty and deep experience, she looks at end-of-life decisions and over-treatment, frailty and dementia.Dear Life is a moving and controversial argument against the creeping tendency to see the elderly as a “burden”—difficult, hopeless, expensive and ho...

For more than two decades, hospice nurse Maggie Callanan has tended to the terminally ill and been a cornerstone of support for their loved ones. Now the coauthor of the classic bestseller Final Giftspasses along the lessons she has learned from the experts—her patients. Here is the guide we all need to understanding the special needs of the dying and those who care for them.In her work with thousands of families, Maggie Callanan has witnessed the tears, the love—a...

This volume of the Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics helps readers see the local problem and concern of aging as a global epidemic affecting all areas of the health care workplace. It is written for expert administrative leaders and policymakers who can help make a difference at both local and regional levels.

A fierce, lyrical manifesto that dares readers to face death without sentimentality—and reveals dying well as one of the deepest acts of living, loving, and human responsibility.Die Wise does not offer seven steps for coping with death. It does not suggest ways to make dying easier. It pours no honey to make the medicine go down. Instead, with lyrical prose, deep wisdom, and stories from his two decades of working with dying people and their families, Step...

This collection examines theological and ethical issues of ageing, disability and spirituality, with an emphasis on how ageing affects people who have mental health and developmental disabilities.The book presents ways of moving towards more effective relationships between carers and older people with disabilities; ways in which to connect compassionately and beneficially with the person's spiritual dimension. The contributors highlight the importance of recognizing the personhood ...

For readers of Atul Gawande and Paul Kalanithi, a palliative care doctor's breathtaking stories from 30 years spent caring for the dying.Modern medical technology is allowing us to live longer and fuller lives than ever before. And for the most part, that is good news. But with changes in the way we understand medicine come changes in the way we understand death. Once a familiar, peaceful, and gentle -- if sorrowful -- transition, death has come to be something from...

Depression affects between 10-15% of older people, making it the most frequently encountered mental health condition in later life. Despite this, the condition is easily missed in clinical practice or not adequately treated. Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library, this second edition of Depression in Later Life highlights areas of depression which are of special relevance to later life, how to diagnose depression in an older person, the overlap with dementia and various other physi...

This book synthesizes the major research advances in molecular, biochemical and translational aspects of aging and heart failure over the last four decades and addresses future directions in management and drug discovery. It presents clinical issues and molecular mechanisms related to heart failure, including the changing demographics in the aging population with heart failure; hypertension and prevention of diastolic heart failure in the aging population; polypharmacy and adverse drug rea...