Synopsis:
An authority on death and dying offers a memoir of her lifetime of work, from war-ravaged Poland to her seminars at the University of Chicago, and details her belief that there is life after death
Reviews:
Most people know Kubler-Ross' writings on death and dying, but fewer are familiar with her life. In this autobiography, which she says will be her last book (she has suffered several strokes recently), Kubler-Ross describes her growing-up years in Switzerland as one of a set of triplet sisters, her fight to become a doctor, and later, the even stronger opposition she met when she began her research on death and dying. Despite the weightiness inherent in working with and writing about mortality, the book has a light, almost airy feel to it, which goes along with the author's central theme that death is merely a transformation. Those familiar with Kubler-Ross' ideas (including her notions about life after death, guardian angels, etc.) will be the natural audience for this book, but even they may be taken aback by the discussion of her visits from spirit guides. Still, her forthrightness and enthusiasm are undeniable. Expect demand. Ilene Cooper
Kubler-Ross's landmark On Death and Dying (LJ 7/69) influenced much of today's work with the terminally ill. Now in her 70s and facing her own death, the renowned psychiatrist recounts here the story of a life spent not only endeavoring to understand dying but also "explaining that death does not exist." Against her father's wishes, the Swiss-born author went to medical school and studied psychiatry in New York after marrying an American physician. Drawn to end-of-life counseling, Kubler-Ross developed her techniques into professional workshops, the basis for her earliest and most influential books. Falling in with a channeler of dubious background, Kubler-Ross claims to have undergone out-of-body experiences, meetings with spirit guides, and visions of fairies. Unfortunately, this book is a puzzling combination of hastily sketched reminiscence and the worst of New Age ramblings, providing little insight into the author's character. A disappointment.
-?Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Inst. Lib., Cleveland
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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