The Journey's End: An Investigation of Death and Dying In Modern America

Summary

In the tradition of Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, this compassionate work helps individuals develop a more accepting view of dying while teaching them what to expect and how to navigate the healthcare system at the end of life.

The healthcare system has a narrow view of how to provide end-of-life care, focusing on extending a patient’s life at all costs instead of caring holistically for the person. The central idea of this book is that in old age, or when facing a terminal diagnosis, it is more important to understand your life than to extend it. A natural death means accepting that, at some point, we are old enough or sick enough to die. In our cynical and overly clinical age, reflecting on the meaning of one’s life is difficult, but we need that introspection. The Journey’s End seeks to help people manage their healthcare, expectations, and decisions in the final phase of life.

“The end of life is a bit like an impenetrable wilderness: a dark and foreboding mystery. Michael Doring Connelly is a reliable wilderness guide, bringing decades of experience in healthcare, a comprehensive command of current research, and steadfast humanism to The Journey’s End. A must-read.”—David C. Leach, MD, former executive director, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education