Dancing with Mister D: Notes on Life and Death

This work follows a doctor who works in a nursing home for the terminally ill in Holland. Various patients' stories are interspersed with philosophical discussions between three doctors, Jaarsma, Anton and Van Gooyer, about their profession, truth, despair and faith. The book also examines a range of other topics such as the history of medicine, the placebo-effect, the meagre scientific content of medical practice, the oddness of the verb "to die", the failure of cancer research and the way in which our minds are anchored to our brains. Euthanasia is a recurrent theme, and detailed accounts of several cases are included.

As cancer rates soar, and the issue of "self-deliverance" stays in the headlines, the American pre-occupation with death and dying has never been more intense. In this remarkable new book, Bert Keizer, a Dutch doctor with training in philosophy as well as medicine, probes these concerns with understanding and insight as he shares with us his extraordinary experiences among the terminally ill.

We follow Keizer through his days at a nursing home in Holland as he listens to his patients' stories, documents their battle with disease, and witnesses their taking their own lives in order to die with dignity. All this is given counterpoint by the trio of doctors with whom Keizer works, whose outlooks range from detachment to despair to naive faith in the power of medicine. And throughout are Keizer's brilliant, often startling meditations on the nature of his work--shedding new light on such topics as the placebo effect, the oddness of the verb "to die," and, of course, euthanasia, which is legal in Holland.

A surprise bestseller in Holland, where it was praised for its humanity, scope, and emotional power, Dancing with Mr. D is an inspiring and powerful narrative that vividly frames the issues we will all confront when we make our final journey