The time has come for a frank discussion about how we die. Unplugged is the blueprint for that talk.

Description

Chosen by the Library Journal as one of the Best Consumer Health Books of 2006.

Medical technology has helped mankind conquer tuberculosis, polio, and countless other once certain-death diseases. It has given us hope against cancer and AIDS, allowed heart and brain surgeries that have saved untold numbers of lives, and delivered us from the pain and crippling legacy of injury. Medical technology, it seems, is a never-ending string of miracles. But it is also a double-edged sword. More often than not, death today happens because of a decision to stop doing something, or to not do it at all. As the tragic life and death of Terri Schiavo so poignantly illustrated, universal definitions of life, death, nature, and many other concepts are elusive at best. Unplugged addresses the fundamental questions of the right-to-die debate, and discusses how the medical advances that bring so much hope and healing have also helped to create today’s dilemma. This compelling book explores recent high-profile cases, including that of Mrs. Schiavo, and illuminates the complex legal, ethical, medical, and deeply personal issues of a debate that ultimately affects us all. Compassionate and beautifully written, the book helps readers understand the implications of current laws and proposed legislation, various medical options (including hospice), and the typical end-of-life decisions we all must face in order to make informed decisions for ourselves and our loved ones.

Praise for Unplugged

"William Colby...has written a timely, comprehensive book exploring the legal, medical and ethical questions surrounding this complex issue...In a surprisingly personal narrative voice."
— The Lancet

“[Colby] conveys a sensitivity and compassion about a subject that many find extremely difficult to discuss….a fascinating and well-written book.”
— Health Progress, November 2007

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 2006 by William H. Colby.

All rights reserved.

Previously published by AMACOM.

This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Jacket Design by Pema Studio.

Back to top

About the Author

William Colby (Kansas City, MO) is the lawyer who represented the family of Nancy Cruzan in the first right-to-die case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has appeared on Larry King Live, Hardball, Frontline, Today, CBS This Morning, and many national news network programs. He is a Senior Fellow with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in Washington, D.C. , and the author of Long Goodbye: The Deaths of Nancy Cruzan.

Like this author? Check out the list of books by this author available on DailyLit.

Back to top

Opening Lines (Experimental)

*ON SATURDAY*, December 22, 1990, I drove my red and gray Ford Bronco slowly across the snow-packed two-lane roads down to Mt. Vernon, Missouri, to say goodbye to Nancy Cruzan and her family. Near the front steps of the state hospital, protesters huddled together against the frigid cold in a crude ...

Back to top

Copyright

Copyright 2006 by William H. Colby.

All Rights Reserved.

Back to top