The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life

About This Book

This “comforting…thoughtful” guide to maintaining a high quality of life—from resilient old age to the first inklings of a serious illness to the final breath—by the New York Times bestselling author of *Knocking on Heaven’s Door* is a “roadmap to the end that combines medical, practical, and spiritual guidance” (The Boston Globe). “A common sense path to define what a ‘good’ death looks like” (USA TODAY), *The Art of Dying Well* focuses on living as well as possible for as long as possible and adapting successfully to change. Packed with extraordinarily helpful insights and inspiring true stories, award-winning journalist Katy Butler shows how to thrive in later life (even when coping with a chronic medical condition), how to get the best from our health system, and how to make your own “good death” more likely. The book includes practical, communal, physical, and spiritual preparations that will help you make the most of your remaining time. Based on Butler’s experience caring for aging parents and interviews with individuals who have successfully navigated the health system, it draws on the expertise of national leaders in family medicine, palliative care, geriatrics, oncology, and hospice, clearly outlining the steps necessary to prepare for a beautiful death without fear.