A Chosen Death: The Dying Confront Assisted Suicide

by Lonny Shavelson

Simon & Schuster, 1995; University of California Press, 1998

From reviews of A Chosen Death:

Erika Taylor, Los Angeles Times Book Review, June 4, 1995: "A compassionate, brilliant book. . . . Regardless of one's opinion on assisted suicide, as a literary documentary A Chosen Death is almost perfect. Shavelson writes with a combination of intelligence, simplicity, and emotion that, on a visceral level, gently forces these five very different people straight into our lives.”

Franklin G. Miller, New England Journal of Medicine, May 2, 1996: “The personality and varied talents of the author as journalist, photographer, and physician are evident in this remarkable book, which presents moving and thought-provoking accounts of assisted death. . . . Shavelson challenges the simplistic thinking characteristic of much of the debate on this subject.”

Art Caplan (Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania), The Philadelphia Inquirer Book Review,  June 9, 1995: “The stories recounted by Shavelson...are told with compassion, drama and insight.  I find myself thinking about (them) over and over again... Read Shavelson’s crucially important book.”   

Steve Heilig, San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Book Review, June 11, 1995: “A Chosen Death is unlike any other book on death, dying and assisted suicide. ...superbly tackles this most difficult of ethical issues.”

Library Journal, starred review, June 15, 1995: “Shavelson does an excellent job of presenting the many faces of the issue.  It’s all there, the joy and the sorrow. ...highly recommended for all collections.” 

Hardcover (Amazon.com)

Paper (Amazon.com)

Selection of photographs from A Chosen Death

People Magazine: Link to the story of Mary Hall, from A Chosen Death

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