Resources & References Video Credit: Videezy

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi A raw and beautiful memoir by a young neurosurgeon with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to share his thoughts and understanding on 'What makes a life worth living?'

At the age of thirty-six, Paul was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live.

A poignant story that is a gift to those leaving and living.

Chasing Daylight:
How My Forthcoming Death Transformed by Life
by Eugene O'Kelly When told he has <3 months to live, Eugene (a corporate CEO) decide to pen his last journey and share his thoughts. He was smart, powerful and had led an envious life before being handed the death sentence. The book was his noble way to share his insights during his final days and months to wrap up loose ends in the hope that it will be of use to others.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Morrie Schwartz was Mitch’s college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Upon learning that Morrie was diagnosed with ALS - or motor neurone disease and dying, Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.

Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live.
The Legacy Letters: his Wife,
his Children, his Final Gift
by Carew Papritz Back Cover Description of The Legacy Letters

A tragedy begins.
A husband and wife separate.
He’s dying. She doesn’t know.
She’s pregnant. He can’t return.

Now he races against time—
In the solitude of a mountain cabin.

In a faraway mountain range.
Trying to finish . . .

For his children—
his captivating stories and memories,
turned into practical, moral, and spiritual instructions,
now their “guidebook to life.”

For his wife—
his intimate words of great love and deep regret,
now his journey of redemption,
now her passage to forgiveness.

Ultimately, he gives his final gift
to her, to them, and now, to us all.
Rediscover private letters from a dying father to his children and his wife …
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly By Jean-Dominique Bauby, Jeremy Leggatt (Translator) ‘Locked-in syndrome: paralysed from head to toe, the patient, his mind intact, is imprisoned inside his own body, unable to speak or move. In my case, blinking my left eyelid is my only means of communication.’

In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French ‘Elle’ and the father of two young children, suffered a massive stroke and found himself paralysed and speechless, but entirely conscious, trapped by what doctors call ‘locked-in syndrome’.

His only functioning muscle was his left eyelid. He began dictating this remarkable story, painstakingly spelling it out letter by letter.

This book is not exactly about dying, but an inspiring and uplifting story on living. Sometimes, it takes losing something to cherish it.
Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley A charming picture book dealing with the end of life. Old Badger is is dying and begins to prepare for his final journey. To each of his friends he gives something to remember him by.

His friends learn to come to terms with his death in an enchanting tale.

Written for children, this book handles a difficult subject brilliantly.
The Good Death:
An Exploration of Dying in America
by Ann Neumann Following the death of her father, journalist and hospice volunteer Ann Neumann sets out to examine what it means to die well in the United States. She discovered that many are shielded from what death actually looks like. To gain a better understanding, Neumann became a hospice volunteer and set out to discover what a good death is today. She attended conferences, academic lectures, and grief sessions in church basements. She chatted with the attorney who successfully argued for the legalization of aid in dying; and listened to the stories of those who were close to death. Medical technologies and increased life expectancies have changed the very definition of medical death. And although death is a common fate, what constitutes a good death is unique to each person, depending on age, race, economic status, culture, and beliefs. A good reference book for readers to understand their options and prepare for the end of life planning calmly.
Being Mortal:
Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande This book pulls back the veil on the institutions that treat the terminally ill and aging. Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, fearlessly revealed the struggles of his profession. He examines its ultimate limitations and failures as life draws to a close. And he discovers how we can do better. He follows a hospice nurse on her rounds, a geriatrician in his clinic, and reformers turning nursing homes upside down. He finds people who show us how to have the hard conversations and what people really care about. Riveting, honest, and humane, Being Mortal shows that the ultimate goal is not a good death but a good life – all the way to the very end.
The Book of Ichigo Ichie by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles From the authors of Ikigai we have Ichigo ichie (一期一会): What we are experiencing at this very moment, will never happen again. We must value each moment like a treasure; because each moment is unique. This tenet of Zen Buddhism is attributed to a sixteenth-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony, or ‘ceremony of attention’, whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment.

In The Book of Ichigo Ichie, one learns how to make each moment count by using all five senses to anchor ourselves in the present. We learn to let go of fear, sadness, anger, and other negative emotions fueled by fixating on the past or the future; be alerted to the magic of coincidences, which help us find meaning among the disconnected events of our lives.
With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix How does one prepare for Death? With a wealth of experience spanning more than 40 years in palliative care, Dr. Kathryn Mannix shares heart-breaking stories her patients and their families, making a case for the therapeutic power of approaching death not with apprehension, but with clarity.

With the End in Mind explores the possibility of meeting death gently, with forethought and preparation, and shows the beauty, dignity, and profound humanity of life coming to an end
Dear Life by Rachel Clarke As a specialist in palliative medicine, Dr Rachel Clarke’s training was put to the test in 2017 when her beloved GP father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She learned that nothing - even the best palliative care - can sugar-coat the pain of losing someone you love.
Dear Life is a book about the crucial importance of human connection. It is a love letter - to a father, to a profession, to life itself.
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