Die Wise (eBook)

Die Wise does not offer seven steps for coping with death. It does not suggest ways to make dying easier. It pours no honey to make the medicine go down. Instead, with lyrical prose, deep wisdom, and stories from his two decades of working with dying people and their families, Stephen Jenkinson places death at the center of the page and asks us to behold it in all its painful beauty. Die Wise teaches the skills of dying, skills that have to be learned in the course of living deeply and well. Die Wise is for those who will fail to live forever.

Dying well, Jenkinson writes, is a right and responsibility of everyone. It is not a lifestyle option. It is a moral, political, and spiritual obligation each person owes their ancestors and their heirs. Die Wise dreams such a dream, and plots such an uprising. How we die, how we care for dying people, and how we carry our dead: this work makes our capacity for a village-mindedness, or breaks it.

Table of Contents
The Ordeal of a Managed Death
Stealing Meaning from Dying
The Tyrant Hope
The Quality of Life
Yes, But Not Like This
The Work
So Who Are the Dying to You?
Dying Facing Home
What Dying Asks of Us All
Kids
Ah, My Friend the Enemy

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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DieWisedoes not offer seven steps for coping with death. It does not suggest ways to makedyingeasier. It pours no honey to make the medicine go down. Instead, with lyrical prose, deep wisdom, and stories from his two decades of working withdyingpeople and their families, StephenJenkinsonplaces death at the center of the page and asks us to behold it in all its painful beauty. DieWiseteaches the skills ofdying, skills that have to be learned in the course of living deeply and well.DieWiseis for those who will fail to live forever.Dyingwell,Jenkinsonwrites, is a right and responsibility of everyone.It is not a lifestyle option.It is a moral, political, and spiritual obligation each person owes their ancestors and their heirs.DieWisedreams such a dream, and plots such an uprising.How wedie, how we care fordyingpeople, and how we carry our dead: this work makesour capacity fora village-mindedness, or breaks it.Table of ContentsThe Ordeal of a Managed DeathStealing Meaning from DyingThe Tyrant HopeThe Quality of LifeYes, But Not Like ThisThe WorkSo Who Are the Dying to You?Dying Facing HomeWhat Dying Asks of Us AllKidsAh, My Friend the Enemy