"An inspiring, informative, and practical guide to navigating end of life issues, by a groundbreaking expert in the field and the New York Times bestselling 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,...

Glimpses of heaven provides the reader with an intimate look at the final thoughts, words, and visions of terminally ill and dying people.

When Oscar arrived at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island he was a cute little cat with attitude. He loved to stretch out in a puddle of sunlight and chase his tail until he was dizzy. Occasionally he consented to a scratch behind the ears, but only when it suited him. In other words, he was a typical cat. Or so it seemed. It wasn't long before Oscar had created something of a stir. Apparently, this ordinary cat possesses...

"Lewis Madigan is young, gay, out of work, and getting antsy when he's roped into providing end-of-life care for his insufferable homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. Lewis doesn't need the aggravation, just the money. The only requirements: run errands, be on call, and put up with a miserable old churl no one else in Buffalo can bear. After exchanging barbs, bickering, baiting, and pushing buttons, Chester hits Lewis with the big ask. Lewis can't...

"What do you want when you are near the end of life? All too often, Rehm argues, this question goes unaddressed or unresolved, whether from uncertainty, from fear, or from a lack of awareness of the resources that are at hand for helping the terminally ill decide for themselves what they want to do. She argues that every human being deserves to die with dignity, and she points to the recent legislation in six states and Washington, D.C., providing...