Questions & Answers on Death and Dying

by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

On Death and Dying is one of the most important books ever written on the subject and is still considered the bench-mark in the care of the dying. It became an immediate bestseller, and Life magazine called it "a profound lesson for the living." This companion volume consists of the questions that are most frequently asked of Dr. Kübler-Ross and her compassionate answers. She discusses accepting the end of life, suicide, terminal illness, euthanasia, how to tell a patient he or she is critically ill, and how to deal with all the special difficulties surrounding death. Questions and Answers on Death and Dying is a vital resource for doctors, nurses, members of the clergy, social workers, and lay people dealing with death and dying.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Death, Grief, Self Help, Spirituality, Health

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, and author of the internationally best-selling book, On Death and Dying (1969), where she first discussed her theory of the five stages of grief, also known as the "Kübler-Ross model".
Kübler-Ross was a 2007 inductee into the National Women's Hall of Fame, was named by Time as one of the "100 Most Important Thinkers" of the 20th century and was the recipient of twenty honorary degrees. By July 1982, Kübler-Ross had taught 125,000 students in death and dying courses in colleges, seminaries, medical schools, hospitals, and social-work institutions. In 1970, she delivered an Ingersoll Lecture at Harvard University on the theme On Death and Dying. The New York Public Library also named, "On Death & Dying" as one of the "Library's Books of the Century."

Reviews

[Mónica Portillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a very good brief reading, some questions tend to be repeated but in general enjoyable

[Christian Engler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questions & Answers on Death and Dying is an extremely helpful resource to those who are bereaved or are on the cusp of being so. It is also a good introductory book, as was its predecessor-On Death and Dying-to the area of counseling psychology, specifically thanatology, the study of death and dying, for there are many issues in the dying process that are addressed: nonverbal symbolic language, prolongation of life, sudden death, suicide and terminal illness, fear, faith and hope to old age and just plain coping. Encompassed in the very latter, coping-wise, is not simply the patient and family but also the medical staff. The dynamics of dying have a process and to witness a loved one going through that process is obviously painful; it is the agonizing but inevitable hurt that no one wants to go through. But it can and will make the living stronger. This work in particular is helpful in many respects, because it is not necessarily a "how-to" guide on how to grieve or cope; it simply tries to answer the most fundamental and frequently asked questions that people have in respects to death and dying, i.e. emotional and physical pain, loneliness, anger against God and healthy people and finding some caliber of meaningfulness in their life while simultaneously being in the throes of the dying process. The questions asked are sincere, moving and eloquent. The dam of curiosity is opened, and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross eloquently answers all questions, even ones we would not even think of asking. Her insightful and kindhearted responses go to the core of what we're all essentially curious about; she herself admits that in doing this work, it has created a religious belief system that she believed was nonexistent, as one question illustrates: "In all your research on death, what is your personal belief of what happens after death?" "Before I started working with dying patients, I did not believe in a life after death. I now do believe in a life after death, beyond a shadow of a doubt." What is so nice about this book is that it is a gap filler to the first book. What Elizabeth Kubler-Ross started with in On Death and Dying, the general public-the living and the dying (by their questions)-completed with Questions & Answers on Death and Dying; it went full circle, and it reads as such. This is a valuable work to have. Many, many topics are addressed, and there is no compassionate condescension or nihilistic overtones, just truth, information and loving understanding.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago, and was reminded about it today. At the time that I read it, I was sick the second time with my cancer. I was discouraged from reading the book -- it might be too "close to home," I was told. On the contrary, I found it a relief that Kubler-Ross articulated so much about the reality of death and our culture's denial of it. No one wants to die, but it is an inevitable part of life. And, as a cancer patient, it is a shadow that is over your heart every day. I am grateful to have good health today, but also grateful to the insight of writers like Kubler-Ross. Highly recommended.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone scared of going to hell? I read this as a young man in my twenties and it put me on the path to what eventually became atheism, by freeing me from the fear. I can say in all honesty that this is the one book that helped me become a happier, more confident, more open, more enquiring person.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: 1, Catholic Church: 0.

[no elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great, insightful book that remains relevant even today in 2013 imo, but i am curious as to how much has changed in the last 40 years since this and on death and dying were published and i can't seem to find anything to sate my curiosity

[Cília Comella Correa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Responde a preguntas sobre la muerte y como acompañar a enfermos terminales y como gestionar las emociones propias. Esperaba un libro más general sobre la muerte y el duelo, esta bastante centrado en la experiencia personal de la autora.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago when nursing in palliatve care and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross became my hero!

[Laxmi]

This is an accompaniment to the book On Death and Dying. However, it can very well be read independently too. The author provides answers to the questions she must have received overtime from various people when they or the ones they cared for were faced with death. The answers act as a guide for all to fall back to when facing similar situations.
Having picked this book at a time when a dear one happened to face a similar challenge, the answers proved to be of much assistance.

[UKEXPAT74 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have read this book many years ago. Regardless, there was nothing new here!

[Kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not finished with it yet. I started reading it before on death and dying- which was, admittedly very silly. But I really, really like the fact that she complied q and a sections from her lectures on her experiences. On a semi-personally level: I really admit the way she takes a lot of questions in stride. I'm not sure if Dr. Kubler-Ross was zen in real life but she definitely appears so in this book- some of the questions seem real snarky, cynical and downright angry at times. She just rolls with it.

[Pablo Palet Araneda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it would have been better if I'd have read On death and dying first; specially because I was looking for these books since two decades ago at least. Moreover, I wonder how much have changed the helping professions since it was written. Anyway, it made me think a lot in its central topic: my own approach to death and dying.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good personalized companion to the original book. Yes,some of the questions are ridiculous but they are posed by people. Some of the exchanges reveal Dr. Kubler-Ross' personal spiritual beliefs.

[Sue]

I read this after my mom died. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is a highly acclaimed author and I definitely recommend reading anything she has written.

[Jayne Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read for anyone who has experience death in their lives and is looking for some sort of explanation of what really happens toward the end of our lives.