{"product_id":"9780062932655_the-lost-art-of-dying","title":"The Lost Art of Dying","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Columbia University physician comes across a popular medieval text on dying well written after the horror of the Black Plague and discovers ancient wisdom for rethinking death and dying, gaining insight today on how we can learn the lost art of dying well in this wise, clear-eyed book that is as compelling and soulful as \u003ci\u003eBeing Mortal, When Breath Becomes Air\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSmoke Gets in Your Eyes.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As a specialist in both medical ethics and the treatment of older patients, Dr. L. S. Dugdale knows a great deal about the end of life and the complexities of modern end-of-life care. Far too many of us die poorly, she argues. Our culture has overly medicalized death: dying is often institutional and sterile, prolonged by unnecessary resuscitations and other intrusive interventions. We are not going gently into that good night—our reliance on modern medicine can actually prolong suffering and strip us of our dignity. Yet our lives do not have to end this way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCenturies ago, in the wake of the Black Plague, a text was published offering advice to help the living prepare for a good death. Written during the late Middle Ages, \u003ci\u003ears moriendi\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Art of Dying\u003c\/i\u003e—made clear that to die well, one first had to live well and described what practices, as part of end-of-life planning, best help us prepare. When Dugdale discovered this Medieval book, it was a revelation. Inspired by its holistic approach to the final stage we must all one day face, she draws from this forgotten work, combining its wisdom with the knowledge she has gleaned from her long medical career. \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Dying\u003c\/i\u003e is a twenty-first century \u003ci\u003ears moriendi, \u003c\/i\u003efilled with much-needed insight and thoughtful guidance that will change our perceptions. By recovering our sense of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, developing meaningful rituals, and involving our communities in end-of-life care and spiritual care, we can discover what it means to both live and die well. And like the original ars moriendi, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Dying \u003c\/i\u003eincludes nine black-and-white drawings from artist Michael W. Dugger. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr. Dugdale offers a hopeful perspective on death and dying as she shows us how to adapt the wisdom from the past to our lives today. \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Dying\u003c\/i\u003e is a vital, affecting book that reconsiders death, death culture, and how we can transform how we practice living well each day, including our last. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on centuries of wisdom and modern medical experience, this book provides a compassionate roadmap for navigating the end of life:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAncient Wisdom for a Modern Death:\u003c\/b\u003e Learn what the medieval \u003ci\u003ears moriendi\u003c\/i\u003e teaches us about preparing for the end—and how its lessons on living a full life are more relevant than ever.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMedical Ethics in Practice:\u003c\/b\u003e Gain insight from Dr. Dugdale’s patient stories that reveal the challenges of our medicalized death culture and the difficult choices families face.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePalliative Care and Comfort:\u003c\/b\u003e Understand the difference between prolonging suffering and providing meaningful comfort, with guidance on how to advocate for dignity in end-of-life care.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGrief and Bereavement:\u003c\/b\u003e Explore how developing meaningful rituals and involving community can help not only the dying but also provide a framework for those left behind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Framework for Living:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover how confronting our finitude, accepting our aging bodies, and facing our fears can transform how we live each day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"L.S. Dugdale","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46922146676885,"sku":"9780062932655","price":8.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780062932655_0766b5e8-1628-4827-baf0-78fb5896cf06.jpg?v=1776889933","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780062932655_the-lost-art-of-dying","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}