On Death and Dying
What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy, and Their Own Families
by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D.

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Synopsis:
This is the world-famous best-seller by the woman who popularized the field of thanatology as a subject for general social commentary. This was her first book on the topic and is considered a classic. It is required reading in many academic settings, including medical and nursing schools, theological seminaries, and popular psychology courses.

The book introduced the author's seminal "stages of dying" or "stages of grief" model which is still widely quoted. According to this model, there are five stages that a dying person goes through when they are told that they have a terminal illness. The stages go in progression through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This model has been widely adopted by other authors and applied to many other situations where someone suffers a loss or change in social identity. The model is often used in bereavement work. Not all workers in the field agree with this model, however, and some critics feel the stages are too rigid. Regardless of whether you feel the stages are absolute, the book is a "must read" for anyone seriously interested in death and dying issues.

Written in plain language that anyone can understand, this important book can help families understand what's going on as death of a loved one draws near.