Matters of Life and Death: Key Writings / Edition 1

by Iona Heath

Overview

In this extraordinary book, Iona Heath draws on her experience as a general practitioner to select and comment on a collection of passages concerning death and dying, and to consider the essential nature of general practice. In Ways of Dying Heath illuminates the process for professionals and lay readers, and stimulates consideration of approaches to improved care at end of life. Her renowned work The Mystery of General Practice (which has been unavailable for some time), considers the complex character of this field, its core values and changing roles. The two extended essays cover important issues on the role of the healthcare professional in the care of the dying, the idea of life and death, and the essential nature of general practice. Matters of Life and Death offers inspiration for all doctors, especially those with an interest in medical humanities. It will also be of great interest to general readers interested in end of life matters, and the nature and art of medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781846190964
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/20/2007
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

The denial of death. The gift of death. Ways of dying. Alive until dead. Time and eternity. What the doctor needs. Science and poetry.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Shreda Paire, MS, RN, FNP-C(Odyssey HealthCare)
Description: Iona Heath has collected two essays into a compact book that is easy to pick up but difficult to put down as it draws readers into her musings about death, dying, and the art of the general practitioner. Dr. Heath explores the mysteries of death, using the words of poets and philosophers in order to delve into the mysteries that confront us all at the end of life.
Purpose: The purpose is to explore death and to try and make meaning of the experience of human illness, suffering, and dying. Her objectives seem lofty, but she attains them as she intertwines her wisdom and experience with the thoughts of other writers, in order to bring "new meaning from chaos."
Audience: The book targets both clinicians and laypersons, since both face the inevitability of death in their own lives. Dr. Heath draws upon her extensive experience as a clinician but doesn't overwhelm the layperson with incomprehensible medical terminology; instead she explains the concepts at a level understandable by any brave enough consider the subject.
Features: The first essay explores such topics as how one dies, the meaning of dying, and how a clinician can best be present for a dying person. Dr. Heath intersperses her ideas with quotes from poets, writers, and others whose language reveals a deeper understanding of concepts that are otherwise difficult to grasp. Her second essay explores the concept of general practice as one whose essential presence is at the heart of medicine. She laments the effects of the political and social constraints upon the general practitioner in the realm of socialized medicine. This is a must read for any considering the effects of political change on the practice of medicine.
Assessment: Dr. Heath has written a book whose size belies its importance. Her writing style and her method serve her well as she broaches subjects that are not always easy to contemplate but are relevant to all of us. Her book should be essential reading for those whose positions will find them at the bedside of the dying. It is a brilliant exploration of dying and the sacred practice of medicine and brings awareness and reverence to both.

Doody's Review Service