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A native of Switzerland, during World War II Kübler-Ross volunteered at a Zurich hospital, helping refugees from Nazi Germany. After the war, she visited a concentration camp and chose her path: she decided to become a doctor -- a psychiatrist -- and study how people dealt with death. Namely, their own. "I always say that death can be one of the greatest experiences ever," she wrote in her 1997 autobiography. "If you live each day of your life right, then you have nothing to fear." She got her medical degree in 1957 and moved to the U.S. Advances in medical diagnosis made it more common for doctors to predict oncoming death, and farther in advance. Should the terminally ill patients be told of their prognoses? How should they prepare? How can they be helped? What role should doctors and nurses play in the process? Kübler-Ross broke centuries of taboos to study such questions -- and come up with answers. Her 1969 book On Death and Dying was both ground-breaking and best-selling. It described the "five stages" of impending death that most patients go through (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance), and found reaching the last step was easiest for those who could look back and agree their life had meaning. Hers certainly did: despite falling out of favor after embracing theories of life after death, she used her studies and fame to help create the now commonly accepted hospice care system in the U.S., and Time magazine named her one of the "100 Most Important Thinkers" of the 20th century. Her son said she saw her death coming after a series of strokes -- and accepted it. She died August 24 at her home in Scottsdale, Ariz. She was 78. From This is True for 22 August 2004 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Elisabeth Kubler-RossDavid Kessler List Price: $14.00 Amazon Price: $11.20 Editorial Review: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's On Death and Dying changed the way we talk about the end of life. Before her own death in 2004, she and David Kessler completed On Grief and Grieving, which looks at the way we experience the process of grief. Just as On Death and Dying taught us the five stages of death -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance -- On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the grieving process and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, including sections on sadness, hauntings, dreams, isolation, and healing."Shortly before her death in 2004, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, her collaborator, completed the manuscript for this, her final book. On Grief and Grieving is a fitting completion to her work. Thirty-six years and sixteen books ago, Kübler-Ross's groundbreaking On Death and Dying changed the way we talk about the end of life. Now On Grief and Grieving will profoundly influence the way we experience the process of grief. On Death and Dying began as a theoretical book, an interdisciplinary study of our fear of death and our inevitable acceptance of it. It introduced the world to the now-famous five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the process of grieving and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, all based on Kübler-Ross's and Kessler's professional and personal experiences, and is filled with brief, topic-driven stories. It includes sections on sadness, hauntings, dreams, coping, children, healing, isolation, and even the subject of sex during grief. ""I know death is close,"" Kübler-Ross says at the end of the book, ""but not quite yet. I lie here like so many people over the years, in a bed surrounded by flowers and looking out a big window....I now know that the purpose of my life is more than these stages....It is not just about the life lost but also the life lived."" In one of their final writing sessions, Kübler-Ross told Kessler, ""The last nine years have taught me patience, and the weaker and more bed-bound I become, the more I'm learning about receiving love."" On Grief and Grieving is Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's final legacy, one that brings her life's work profoundly full circle. "  By: Raymond Moody List Price: $14.00 Amazon Price: $10.36 Editorial Review: In Life After Life Raymond Moody investigates more than one hundred case studies of people who experienced "clinical death" and were subsequently revived. First published in 1975, this classic exploration of life after death started a revolution in popular attitudes about the afterlife and established Dr. Moody as the world's leading authority in the field of near-death experiences. Life after Life forever changed the way we understand both death -- and life -- selling millions of copies to a world hungry for a greater understanding of this mysterious phenomenon. The extraordinary stories presented here provide evidence that there is life after physical death, as Moody recounts the testimonies of those who have been to the "other side" and back -- all bearing striking similarities of an overwelming positive nature. These moving and inspiring accounts give us a glimpse of the peace and unconditional love that await us all.  By: Elisabeth Kubler-Ross List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: One of the most important psychological studies of the late twentieth century, On Death and Dying grew out of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's famous interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and transition. In this remarkable book, Dr. Kübler-Ross first explored the now-famous five stages of death: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Through sample interviews and conversations, she gives the reader a better understanding of how imminent death affects the patient, the professionals who serve that patient, and the patient's family, bringing hope to all who are involved.  By: Elisabeth Kubler-Ross List Price: $11.95 Amazon Price: $9.56 Editorial Review: In this collection of inspirational essays, internationally known author Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross draws on her in-depth research of more than 20,000 people who had near-death experiences, revealing the afterlife as a return to wholeness of spirit. With frank and compassionate advice for those dealing with terminal illness or the death of a loved one, ON LIFE AFTER DEATH offers a compelling message of hope to the living, so that they may grow stronger from tragedy and live life to the fullest.  By: Elisabeth Kubler-RossDavid Kessler List Price: $14.00 Amazon Price: $11.20 Editorial Review: After experiencing a paralyzing stroke in 1995 and facing her own mortality, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (author of the renowned On Death and Dying) realized she had some unfinished business to take care of. "I wanted to write one more book, not on death and dying, but on life and living," she explains. So she joined forces with coauthor David Kessler, a leader in the field of hospice care, and together they wrote about the lessons we can learn about living from those who are dying. As Kessler explains in his introduction, "The dying have always been teachers of great lessons, for it's when we are pushed to the edge of life that we see most clearly." In days gone by, the community would have gathering places where children and adults listened to elders tell their stories of life's challenges and the meaning they found in life. In lieu of that kind of extended community, the authors offer this book, filled with stories from the edge. Then, like fireside elders, they weave these personal stories into themes, such as living authentically, the importance of play, finding one's power, loving relationships, and self-compassion. One cannot say enough about the lasting value of this beautifully written and carefully rendered book. This is your chance to see life from the 20/20 vision of hindsight. In the end what will we value most? Here are some hints: the days we surrendered and became calm, the times we healed that which was broken, and of course all the moments we opened ourselves to love. --Gail HudsonIs this really how I want to live my life? Each one of us at some point asks this question. The tragedy is not that life is short but that we often see only in hindsight what really matters. In this, her first book on life and living, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross joins with David Kessler to guide us through the practical and spiritual lessons we need to learn so that we can live life to its fullest in every moment. Many years of working with the dying have shown the authors that certain lessons come up over and over again. Some of these lessons are enormously difficult to master, but even the attempts to understand them can be deeply rewarding. Here, in fourteen accessible chapters, from the Lesson of Love to the Lesson of Happiness, the authors reveal the truth about our fears, our hopes, our relationships, and, above all, about the grandness of who we really are. |
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