On Death and Dying

Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross created her classic seminal work, On Death and Dying, to offer us a new perspective on the terminally ill. It is not a psychoanalytic study, nor is it a "how-to" manual for managing death. Rather, it refocuses on the patient as a human being and a teacher, in the hope that we will learn from him or her about the final stages of life. On Death and Dying examines the attitudes of the dying and the factors that contribute to society's anxiety over death. It closely looks at the five stages of death-denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance-and how the dying and living deal with them. In addition, this program offers multi-voice readings of some of the most revealing interviews Dr. Kübler-Ross conducted with her patients. By hearing some of the most intimate and sensitive feelings expressed by those men and women, it is hoped that we may learn more about death and lessen our own anxieties about the natural course of our lives. At its heart, On Death and Dying is a truly remarkable program about communication-offering insight on how to talk with and listen to the terminally ill, and truly hear their fears, hopes, angers, and anxieties.