A Commonsense Book of Death: Reflections at Ninety of a Lifelong Thanatologist

by Edwin S. Shneidman

Thirty-five years ago, in 1973, the author, then in the middle of life, age 55, wrote Deaths of Man , a set of essays about death. The book was nominated for the National Book Award in Science and recently the American Psychological Association selected it as a "classic" and provided a retrospective review. Now, in 2008 the author, age 90, revisits some of his original concepts with the experience of thirty-five years of clinical perspective and personal travail and what it is to face his own death.

This book touches on provocative topics such as some proposed criteria for a good death, a variety of ways in which we seek to survive our own death in our postself; the world-wide coarsening of death, and a chapter on suicide in which the author discusses his theory that the black heart of suicide is psychological pain. The book contains ideas like subintentioned death in which the individual, unbeknownst to the self, plays an indirect, unconscious role in bringing the death date forward. Perhaps the most dramatic feature of this new revision is an essay by the author's psychotherapist (about what he was like as patient discussing his own death). It is an essay which the author will not have seen.

Genres: Psychology, Death

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2008

About the author

Dr. Edwin S. Shneidman (born c. 1918) is a noted American suicidologist/thanatologist. He with co-workers from the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center provided a major stimulus to research into suicide and its prevention. He was the founder of the American Association of Suicidology and of the principal United States journal for suicide studies, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. He is Professor of Thanatology Emeritus at the University of California and lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about death. However, it is a strange collection of writings on the same subjects. The first section contains excerpts from his 1973 book Deaths of Man. What he calls "intermission" is a review of that same book. Then the next section is a revised form of the exact same book! So he repeats himself over and over. There are subtle differences and I suppose someone who is interested in every nuance will appreciate it, but I felt like that author was just given artistic license to do whatever he wanted because he's 90 years old and this is likely his last book.

The last section of the book is an essay written by his therapist about working with him. This is highly unusual but again, I suspect the author was just given permission to include whatever he wanted and the publisher gave up on editing anything.

I did like certain aspects but the repetition just seemed too indulgent....

The following are the most useful chapters in my opinion:
Chapter 3: Postvention and the Survivor-Victim
Chapter 5: Personal and Impersonal Aspects of Death
Chapter 6: Ambivalence and Subintention
Chapter III: Three Stances Toward Death
Chapter VII: An Appropriate Death
Chapter VIII: Commonalities of Suicide

[Jia Yuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through this book I got to read what goes through and brilliant mind. Edwin Shneidman has brought forth an informative and insightful view of death. At age 90 when he wrote this book, he shares with us what he had studied and learnt over the the course of his life as a thanatologist.

Having read this at age 25, this book has introduced concepts about life and death which young and healthy people like us hardly think of. Would recommend this book to anyone who has a curious mind and generally wants to find out more.

[Elise Krueger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great review of his work, but very repetitive. It seems like you should have just read the original book, Deaths of Man. I couldn’t tell you the difference between parts one and two except he is older and more reflective in the latter. Marginal differences really.

I’m glad I read it, but wouldn’t recommend to anyone who isn’t very interested in the topic. I didn’t know he was a suicidologist, which can be quite different from general thanatology.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Definitely interesting. Lots of repetition and due to his experience from the time period he worked, lots of references to work done in the 60s.