Seduced by Death

Few issues set off such impassioned debate as euthanasia and assisted suicide but until now no one has shown what their practice means in the actual experience of patients doctors and families. Herbert Hendin has studied such experience in the United States and also in the Netherlands where assisted suicide and euthanasia are accepted. Using interviews with leading medical and legal architects of Dutch practices and evaluating actual cases Dr. Hendin addresses the difficult questions: Who actually makes the decision that a patient will die? How do the needs and character of family friends and doctors affect the choice? Throughout the book and in his conclusion Dr. Hendin shows what we can do to find better options for those facing the final phase of life.