How We Die

Reflections on Life's Final Chapter

By: Sherwin B. Nuland

Narrated by: Sherwin B. Nuland

Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The definitive resource on perhaps the single most universal human concern: death.

Even more relevant than when it was first published, this edition addresses contemporary issues in end-of-life care and includes an all-embracing and incisive afterword that examines the state of health care and our relationship with life as it approaches its terminus. How We Die also discusses how we can take control of our own final days and those of our loved ones.

"Nuland's work acknowledges, with unmatched clarity, the harsh realities of how life departs… There is compassion, and often wisdom, in every page." —San Francisco Examiner

©1994 Sherwin B. Nuland (P)1994 Random House Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"Eloquent and uncommonly moving… Nuland writes with unsentimental passion." —Time

"Engrossing… We are in the hands of a remarkable portraitist whose cultivated thought…. quietly and informatively instructs and advises us on a subject of universal concern." —The New York Times Book Review

"Nuland's work acknowledges, with unmatched clarity, the harsh realities of how life departs… There is compassion, and often wisdom, in every page." —San Francisco Examiner

Very Abridged

Like other reviewers mentioned, I didn't realize that this is the abridged book. It is actually very abridged, which is a shame because the book is so great. I have the actual book, and was disappointed when the audiobook ended so quickly. I love that the author narrates this audiobook
Audible... please make an unabridged audiobook of this insightful and very informative book.

Must read for every age.

I love books narrated by the author.
This book told stories that were clinical, yet easy for a non-medical person to understand. I could see it incrediblely influential to be on a recommended reading list for middle school or high school kids. Especially kids in rough neighborhoods.

The value of life is much better understood when contrasted with and the value of death. Our society tends to hide death.. Highly recommended this book to assist the digestion of your own mortality as well as any family members who have or are struggled with a life-threatening disease or simply the end of their journey around the sun.

Thank you to the author for this book. It made a great difference for me at this point in my life. I am the granddaughter of my newly deceased grandfather and a hospice nurse of 1.5yrs. It's possible to appreciate death and disease. They are both incredible teachers.

LOved it!

Where does How We Die rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book leaves me feeling good about my own mortality....Like all things in nature, we are part of the cycle of life.

What did you like best about this story?

The author's authenticity

Which scene was your favorite?

When his brother was diagnosed with cancer

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I wish this wasn't abridged...would love to hear the entire book

How We Die

I first read Sherwin Nuland's book after my mother died. I flipped through it again when my father died. Now I have listened to How We Die without emotions influencing my read. It is very good in telling you how systems fail and what that leads to.. Mr. Nuland is not out to frighten anyone but just to explain why things go wrong in the body and what those things lead to. Highly recommend it.

Perfect

Love it, very accurate explanation on dying process, narrator is great, will highly recommend to all my family and friends, as a health care worker having this book can help patient's families.

Insight

I would recommend this book for us all! The insights are tempered and informed by the author’s medical education and as such moves us beyond information!!

Amazon should do BETTER! The audiobook is incomplete

There’re a few missing chapters in the book. I read this book for class and I was lucky to find out that there is some missing chapters before it cost me any points. Amazon should do Better!

Humbling to hear

But helpful when dealing with the prospects of a loved ones death. Helped me to reanalyze how I am viewing my Fathers doctors treatment plans, what they say & what they do not say. How to balance pragmatism & hope is a fine line. Once my Fathers journey is over with his illness it will be interesting to revisit this. I know it has already begun to have an important affect on the reality we all ultimately face. MuchLove & Godspeed to us all.

Medically Acurate and Realistically presented

What did you love best about How We Die?

This book has terrific practical medical perspective as well as presents the reality of what often happens when death reaches into the personal life of a medical professional. There is no immunity to the reality and need for allowing a place of denial. Even doctors and nurses become as one of those who have no practical knowledge of the death process. They take on the role of protector rather than informant. The author steps away from the absolute reality of medical knowledge and becomes any one of those family members who sit at the bedside waiting for death to come and take our loved on away. The information concerning how the dying process is determined by the diagnosis is excellent! The process of dying with AIDS is shared quite frankly.Having spent many years at the bedside of the terminally ill, I found this book interesting, educational and insightful. I will use the information gained for patient teaching along the journey.

What was one of the most memorable moments of How We Die?

The Author was ever changed by his own experience with a dying brother.

What does Sherwin B. Nuland bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator does an excellent job with the authors profound descriptions.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!

Any additional comments?

A must read for anyone who cares for the dying.

Good Account of the Facts

The author tells the story of death through case studies. The first two case studies deal with sudden death by myocardial infarction (heart attack) - one resulting in death, the other saved by CPR. There is a no sugar coating of the facts, just a very careful and illustrative accounting. My first two takeaways were improve my eating habits and to teach my kids CPR so that I may survive my "golden hour" if I have a heart attack. The author then dispels the "died of old age" myth and describes the the telltale, small signs of decline in aging. I think the factual approach is refreshing. I was unprepared for death of my father that died similar to his grandmother. I was unprepared for the death of my father-in-law that died like his very first patient. This book not only prepares you for these realities but also offers a cautionary signs to help you avoid an early end. This book is not the subject of the teen set perhaps. But anyone with parents over 50 would do well to read it or just be surprised by inevitable events later.