
The Art of Dying Well
A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life
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Narrated by:
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Katy Butler
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By:
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Katy Butler
About this listen
An inspiring, informative, and practical guide to navigating end-of-life issues, by a groundbreaking expert in the field and the New York Times best-selling author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door.
In the mid-1400s, an unnamed Catholic monk composed a popular self-help book called Ars Moriendi, or The Art of Dying. Written in Latin, this medieval death manual taught people how to navigate the trials of the deathbed using simple rituals of repentance, reassurance, and letting go.
Best-selling author and award-winning journalist Katy Butler argues that we have lost touch with the “art of dying” as practiced by our ancestors, yet we still hunger for rites of passage and a sense of the sacred, especially in the important life transitions of aging and dying. Butler has lectured at medical schools and spoken with community and caregiving organizations across the country. Here she reveals what she has learned about dying in America today - and how to have a better end of life.
We are coping with a medical system in disarray in its approach to people who are aging, dying, or chronically ill. Butler argues it's not about living as long as possible, it's about living as well as possible. Not only does our current system poorly serve our medical needs, it also crowds out any sense of the sacred. It’s time to restore a sense of honor, and through exploring the stages of later life, sharing “good death” stories, as well as offering practical takeaways, The Art of Dying Well illuminates a path to a better end of life.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Katy Butler (P)2019 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-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.
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Terrible narration
- By Nassir on 06-25-05
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Being Mortal
- Medicine and What Matters in the End
- By: Atul Gawande
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In Being Mortal, best-selling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending. Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit.
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A Walk through the Valley of the Shadow
- By George on 11-02-14
By: Atul Gawande
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End of Life Guideline Series
- A Compilation of Barbara Karnes Booklets
- By: Barbara Karnes RN
- Narrated by: Barbara Karnes RN
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Want to learn more about caring for someone at end of life? Discover the End of Life Guideline Series by Barbara Karnes. It is a compilation of five of our most popular hospice and palliative care books that prepares its listeners for the natural, normal process of dying and grief. The series includes, A Time to Live: Living with a Life Threatening Illness, for the newly diagnosed facing a life limiting illness. It addresses issues of comfort, nutrition, and sleep as they relate to the palliative care patient.
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Quick and compassionate insight regarding many aspects of end of life.
- By Lori Ortiz on 01-17-25
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The Four Things That Matter Most 10th Anniversary Edition
- A Book About Living
- By: Ira Byock MD
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Four simple phrases - "Please forgive me", "I forgive you", "Thank you", and "I love you" - carry enormous power to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. These four phrases and the sentiments they convey provide a path to emotional well-being, guiding us through interpersonal difficulties to life with integrity and grace. Dr. Ira Byock, an international leader in palliative care, explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives.
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A must read
- By Light Seeker on 03-14-21
By: Ira Byock MD
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Caring for the Dying
- The Doula Approach to a Meaningful Death
- By: Henry Fersko-Weiss LCSW
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Caring for the Dying describes a whole new way to approach death and dying. It explores how the dying and their families can bring deep meaning and great comfort to the care given at the end of a life. Created by Henry Fersko-Weiss, the end-of-life doula model is adapted from the work of birth doulas and helps the dying to find meaning in their life, express that meaning in powerful and beautiful legacies, and plan for the final days.
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Good; Narrator a little too "much"
- By Wyatt on 04-18-18
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The Death Doula's Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared
- An Essential Workbook to Help You Reflect Back, Plan Ahead, and Find Peace on Your Journey
- By: Francesca Lynn Arnoldy
- Narrated by: Randye Kaye
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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If you are preparing for the end of life—or simply looking to bring more meaning to the here and now—The Death Doula's Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared imparts valuable insight to nurture clarity and your internal strength on your journey. This workbook is a first-of-its-kind publication that invites you to process your life and legacy, create remembrance projects, build connections to vital supports, and draft informative wishes and plans for your last chapter.
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The Five Invitations
- Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
- By: Frank Ostaseski
- Narrated by: Frank Ostaseski
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart, and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves.
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A wonderful resource for caregivers, patients
- By Elizabeth Kerin on 02-05-18
By: Frank Ostaseski
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That Good Night
- Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour
- By: Sunita Puri
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani, Sunita Puri
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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As the American-born daughter of immigrants, Dr. Sunita Puri knew from a young age that the gulf between her parents' experiences and her own was impossible to bridge, save for two elements: medicine and spirituality. Interweaving evocative stories of Puri's family and the patients she cares for, That Good Night is a stunning meditation on impermanence and the role of medicine in helping us to live and die well, arming listeners with information that will transform how we communicate with our doctors about what matters most to us.
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Never needed 1.25x more... GREAT BOOK THOUGH!
- By Viejo Mzungu on 04-30-19
By: Sunita Puri
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The Lost Art of Dying
- Reviving Forgotten Wisdom
- By: L.S. Dugdale
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Lost Art of Dying is filled with much-needed insight and thoughtful guidance that will change our perceptions. Dr. Dugdale offers a hopeful perspective on death and dying as she shows us how to adapt the wisdom from the past to our lives today. Part of living well means preparing for the end, Dr. Dugdale reminds us. By recovering our sense of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, developing meaningful rituals, and involving our communities in end-of-life care, we can discover what it means to both live and die well.
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Powerful. Helpful.
- By ECWalter on 02-20-21
By: L.S. Dugdale
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Death Nesting
- The Heart-Centered Practices of a Death Doula
- By: Anne-Marie Keppel, Karen Wyatt - foreword
- Narrated by: Anne-Marie Keppel
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In this practical and compassionate guide, death doula educator Anne-Marie Keppel incorporates ancient and modern techniques, mindfulness practices, and herbal support to show how anyone can care for the dying, whether at home, in hospice, or even in the ICU. She demystifies the dying process by explaining what the body goes through during end of life and presents practices for emotional soothing and other ways to reduce stress and anxiety during the active dying process.
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Sensitive information with a kind and loving touch.
- By Enocha Ranjita Ryan on 01-04-24
By: Anne-Marie Keppel, and others
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The Final Act of Living
- Reflections of a Longtime Hospice Nurse
- By: Barbara Karnes RN
- Narrated by: Barbara Karnes RN
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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For both professionals and laypeople, this book weaves personal stories with practical care guidelines, including: living with a life-threatening illness, signs of the dying process, the stages of grief, living wills, and other end of life issues. The Final Act of Living: Reflections of a Long-Time Hospice Nurse is an end of life book; a resource that flows like a novel, yet has the content of a textbook.
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Enjoy your life or it can slip through your fingers before you know it!
- By Tamela on 09-02-24
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Being with Dying
- Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death
- By: Joan Halifax, Ira Byock MD - foreword
- Narrated by: Claire Slemmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Buddhist approach to death can be of great benefit to people of all backgrounds - as has been demonstrated time and again in Joan Halifax's decades of work with the dying and their caregivers. Inspired by traditional Buddhist teachings, her work is a source of wisdom for all those who are charged with a dying person's care, facing their own death, or wishing to explore and contemplate the transformative power of the dying process.
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Tender and honest perspective
- By D. Chin on 09-15-16
By: Joan Halifax, and others
What listeners say about The Art of Dying Well
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- Michael Gadoua
- 07-09-19
Good Read For Everyone
I am not dying (at least, not imminently!), nor do I have a loved-one at death's door, but this book was amazing and kept my interest the whole way through. Katy Butler has done very thorough research and shares some very helpful information and case studies in order to have the best death possible.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Richard C
- 05-20-24
An extremely practical resource for end-planning
An organized presentation of how to think about and plan for the inevitable end. Very practical advice interspersed with anecdotal examples.
Highly recommended for anyone at any point of life’s journey but especially for those facing serious declining health and cognitive challenges (and for the caregivers who will )
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- Skip
- 09-20-21
Read this now before it's too late
Sounds like wise advice to me. From someone who lives and works at the margins of human health care, the advice to learn your (and got loved ones') options at the end are well-stated. "Don't be bullied or shamed by physicians" . This multi-cultural approach leaves room for all religious traditions to be honored at the approach and time of passing. The story is liberally interspersed with anecdotal recounts of good and less than good examples of how to prepare and encounter end of life issues ( both yours and that of loved ones). Read this book now. . . .
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- RSF
- 06-29-23
Real & Practical Look At End Of Life Decisions
Honest look at what dying looks like and all the decisions that must be made during this difficult period. Liked the books but didn't care for all the suggested prayers being read word for word. Otherwise good. Medical Aid in dying should be a legal option.
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- Rebecca Myer
- 07-15-19
Book for everyone over 50 or who has parents!
Katy Butler deals thoughtfully and thoroughly with a subject very few of us are willing or able to address: death. She emphasizes that this process requires planning and conversations and that it is never too early to start talking. The chapters are full of practical advise and resources for all stages from resilience (typically starting in the 50's) to active dying and how to identify which stage you are in.
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1 person found this helpful
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- hailey gill
- 12-09-20
great book
wish I read/listened to this sooner for my dad before he passed. all people deserve the information and compassion in this book for themselves or the ones they care about.
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1 person found this helpful
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- nore natof
- 10-22-22
Great book
This book is one of the most comprehensive books I’ve read on the subject of planning for a compassionate ending of your life. It helps you navigate through the medical system that is really not helpful when you are at the end of your life. Read it many times. You will be prepared for your wishes to be honored.
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- Karl Horvath
- 12-22-22
Insightful
Well researched, well written well read. The author is an effective communicator and conveys difficult concepts in a thoughtful and engaging narration.
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- A. Stewart
- 11-11-24
So important
As the primary caregiver to my sister with metastatic breast cancer and someone who expects to be in that role for my mother in law and mother in the future, this is priceless information. I sat with my father as he died 5 years ago and we bumbled our way into a peaceful death. I wish I had read this before his decline.
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- iCelebrateU365 Annetta
- 02-02-25
The truth told without an unapologetic tone.
Everything about this book was excellent. HIGHLY recommended for those who don't know where to start, how to start the dying conversation. The book is relatable to all humans. It makes it easy to add the personal and/or cultural elements to a life event that everyone, yes everyone will have. I have learned from THIS book that a end of life transition for a human being is as beautiful as a beginning of life transition of one.
#iCU365 🦋
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