The Lost Art of Dying - Large Print by L S Dugdale (Paperback)

About the Book

"A Yale physician's fascinating and wise exploration of why so many people die poorly and how a medieval bestseller on the art of dying well holds important lessons for today"--

Book Synopsis

A 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 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 Being Mortal, When Breath Becomes
Air, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

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. 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.

Centuries
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, ars
moriendi--The Art of Dying--made
clear that to die well, one first had to live well and described what practices
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. The Lost Art of Dying is a
twenty-first century ars moriendi, filled 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, we can
discover what it means to both live and die well. And like the original ars
moriendi, The Lost Art of Dying includes nine black-and-white drawings
from artist Michael W. Dugger.

Dr.
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. The Lost Art of Dying is a vital, affecting
book that reconsiders death, death culture, and how we can transform how we
live each day, including our last.

Review Quotes

"In this fascinating, timely, and important book Dugdale draws us into the transformative wisdom of the art of dying. In so doing she reimagines a world where death is not simply an oppressive shadow to be avoided but an important step on the road to life in all its fullness." - John Swinton, author of Dementia: Living In the Memories of God
A physician draws wisdom from a medieval text to transform our thoughts and fears about dying. Balancing her clinical experience with an openly holistic mindfulness, Dugdale thoughtfully expands on the relevant lessons of ars moriendi ("the art of dying") . . . A wise and reassuring guide for confronting death. - Kirkus
"Kudos to Dugdale's The Lost Art of Dying for being honest, refreshing, and useful. As a physician who has experienced many deaths, she helps us think about the meaning of our lives and about how to have a good death. I recommend this book to all who are mortal." - Mary Pipher, author of Women Rowing North
"I'm adding this book about dying to my collection of treasured guides to living well. Filling me with illuminating, compelling, and consoling hope, this book, more than any other I have read, reveals how to rediscover the lost art of dying. Read it. Then read it again and again." - Raymond Barfield, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and Christian philosophy, Duke University
"Want a better life? Then think about your death, starting with Lydia Dugdale's The Lost Art of Dying. Dugdale shows that death should be courageously confronted. In so doing, we not only conquer our fear, but also understand the reason for our lives." - Arthur C. Brooks, author of Love Your Enemies and professor at the Harvard Kennedy School
"In its exploration of dying and how it can go well or poorly, her book is a success and much-needed." - Journal of Palliative Medicine
"This illuminating and thought-provoking book will convince many readers to reexamine their assumptions about death and dying." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"Dugdale guides readers toward taking a holistic approach to this final stage by accepting the finitude of life, developing meaningful rituals, and involving their communities in end-of-life care. The overarching theme is that to die well, one must live well. . . . A readable and inspiring manual." - Library Journal
"Read this book before you need it. Read it for yourself and to share with people in your community who can't read it. This wisdom should never again be lost or forgotten." - The Public Discourse
"This insightful book accurately describes the widespread dysfunction that occurs when we are distracted from the consideration of our own mortality."
- Mercatornet
"At this fraught moment, Dugdale's work could not feel more uncanny and necessary." - Yale Divinity School News
"One day that last breath will occur. Are we prepared? Are you? Reading Dugdale's book becomes therapeutic and nurturing as the readers are challenged by prying questions, followed by reasoned reflection. A beautiful book--one of the few I would purchase for a friend and read again." - Pneuma
"Dugdale patiently and respectfully unveils the reality that many in our world die poorly. Drawing on Medieval wisdom on dying well, she teases out lessons for today. Anyone who deals with the dying--sooner or later, don't we all?--will profit enormously from this insightful and compassionate book." - D. A. Carson, author of Praying with Paul