Books to better understand dying, death and palliative care

Oral problems: information for clinicians

 

When confronted with a serious illness it is difficult to know how to cope or prepare for what is to come. Reading books which describe others experiences, often through stories, can be a gentle way to learn. 

These books have all been recommended by professionals who work in palliative care:

Practical guides to better endings

 

With the End in Mind - Dr Kathryn Mannix 

A palliative care doctor demystifies the dying process through compassionate, real-life stories from her own experience

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - Atul Gawande 

A surgeon examines how medicine can better support quality of life and dignity at the end of life though braver conversations

Handbook for Mortals - Joanne Lynne and Joan Harrold

A practical guide to navigating end-of-life decisions with clarity, compassion, and planning

Do/Death - Amanda Blainey

A gentle, thoughtful call to live more fully by embracing death as a natural part of life

Free yourself from Death Anxiety: A CBT Self-Help Guide for a Fear of Death and Dying - Rachel Menzies and David Veale

A CBT-based self-help guide to reduce fear of death and dying and live more freely

Hope for the Best and Plan for the Rest. 7 Keys for Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis - Dr Sammy Winemaker and Dr Hsien Seow

Offers compassionate, practical guidance to help patients and families navigate serious illness with clarity and proactive decision-making

 

Biographies and personal experience

 

Dear Life - Dr Rachel Clarke

A palliative care doctor shares intimate stories of caring for hospice patients and her own father's death

The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story - Christie Watson

A nurse reflects on the power of compassion and humanity in life’s most vulnerable moments

Gratitude - Oliver Sacks

Final essays from a renowned neurologist offering reflections on his life, illness, and thankfulness

When Breath Becomes Air - Dr Paul Kalanithi

A brain surgeon facing terminal cancer reflects on meaning, mortality, and being both doctor and patient

Late Fragments - Kate Gross

A young mother chronicles her final years with honesty, wit, and insight after a terminal diagnosis

A Matter of Death and Life - Irvin & Marilyn Yalom

A therapist couple reflect on love, grief, and saying goodbye during Marilyn's final illness

Not that Kind of Love - Clare & Greg Wise

Siblings share a deeply moving and humorous account of Clare’s terminal cancer journey

 

 

 

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