Special Holiday Season Book Review
The Study of Dying.
From Autonomy to Transformation
Allan Kellehear (ed)
Cambridge University Press, 2009
284 pp
ISBN 978-0-521-73905-4
RRP £19.99, $US29.99
Ohh! And what sort of medicine do you do?’ A not infrequently heard question in this season of cocktail parties, usually asked by an inquisitive woman who gives airs that she knows what goes on inside medicine. How you do you answer if you work in hospice and palliative care? Mention of ‘death’, ‘dying’ or ‘hospice’ usually terminates the conversation. Say ‘cancer’ and the conversation may survive, but the topic is rapidly changed.
It seems we live in a society where it is socially unacceptable to talk about death and dying, and people showing interest in such things are regarded as a bit ghoulish. But if you work with death and dying on a daily basis, it is hardly unnatural to be interested in such things and The Study of Dying is just what you want. It is a collection of twelve essays exploring all aspects of dying, including contributions from medicine, history, philosophy, art, literature, popular culture and religion.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the Art of Dying (that’s the art associated with death, not how to do it) and Dying in Western Literature. As someone who enjoys watching films, I thought the review of cinematic visions of dying by Fran McInerny was wonderful. With a twist of humour, her sword (or should that be a stake?) goes straight through the death scenes from Hollywood (and elsewhere), portraying them to be the farce that they are. I was pleased to see ‘The Wit’, with its realistic portrayal of difficult and painful issues, was singled out and spared.
If you work with death and dying, then there is a lot in this book that you will find interesting. Perhaps not a book to leave on the coffee table when visitors call, although perhaps it depends on who the visitors are. Rest assured, the visitors won’t mention it, never mind touch it. And if they ask you what you are reading at the moment, you can pick it up and leaf through it…
Circumstances being what they are, this is probably a book you have to buy for yourself. The children will look sad and shake their heads if you put it on your list for a Christmas or birthday present. But go on, treat yourself!
Roger Woodruff
(December 2009)
Palliative Care Book of the Month
OXFORD TEXTBOOK OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE 4e
Hanks, Cherny, Christakis, Fallon, Kaasa and Portenoy (Eds)
Oxford University Press, 2009
1666 pp
ISBN 978-0-19-857029-5
RRP £166.00, $US345.00, $AU450.00.
The first thing that you notice about the OTPM 4e is when you try to pick it up. It has been significantly enlarged by one-third in an attempt to provide comprehensive coverage of all aspects of palliative medicine. There has been some change in the order of play in the table of contents, which I think is an improvement. There are new sections on the interdisciplinary team, geriatric palliative medicine, disease modification in advanced cancer, and a section devoted to specific neoplastic diseases. The section on pain has also been restructured.
I enjoyed dipping in and out. The text is set out in a similar way to the third edition, with a useful system of headings. There is adequate use of lists and diagrams. It is reasonably up to date (considering the lag-time in publishing such a large volume), and is adequately referenced.
Several sections caught my eye. Derek Doyle’s Foreword, encapsulating what has and is happening in palliative medicine, is a pleasure to read. The chapter on euthanasia by Mastersvedt and Bosshard is an attempt to provide a balanced discussion of both sides of the argument but I felt it did more to muddy the waters. And long discussions about definitions were unhelpful. I had difficulty with there being a difference between performing euthanasia, not requested, on incompetent patients (non-voluntary euthanasia) as compared to competent ones (in-voluntary euthanasia). The other thing that I noticed was that the chapter in paediatric HIV is no longer included. UNAIDS informs me that in 2008 there were 2.1 million children under the age of 15 years living with AIDS, of whom 280,000 died. That surely brings it within the purvey of palliative medicine.
So is the OTPM 4e value for money? In attempting to answer that question, I have to declare that I helped write the chapter on adult HIV, but had nothing else to do with the production of this book. It is more expensive than the standard edition of Walsh et al.’s Palliative Medicine (£89.00, $US95.00, $AU225.00) and the Elsevier book has the advantage that it is electronically searchable and connected to the PubMed abstracts of the references. It is also a little more expensive than Bruera et al.’s Textbook of Palliative Medicine (£125.00, $US225.00).
Whilst it may seem unfair to compare a fourth edition with first editions, I feel OTPM 4e is the better textbook. The searchability of the Elsevier volume remains a definite attraction, but my previous comment about the brevity of some of the chapters in that volume still applies. I think that the presentation and the depth to be found in OTPM 4e maintain its position as the gold standard in palliative medicine.
Roger Woodruff
(December 2009)
Book reviews
HANDBOOK OF PSYCHIATRY AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE 2e
Harvey Max Chochinov and William Breitbart (Eds)
Oxford University Press, 2009
565 pp
ISBN 978-0-19-530107-6
RRP $US 89.50, £55.00
In her foreword, Dr. Kathleen Foley states ‘psychological distress is common, diagnosable, treatable, and its management essential to improving the quality of life for patients and families.’ How true is that. This enlarged and updated second edition comes eight years after the first and has a most impressive list of contributors. For those now training in palliative medicine, this will provide an invaluable and up to date review of all matters pertaining to psychological and psychiatric care. For those of us who came to palliative medicine when there was less formalised training, perhaps with no post-graduate experience in psychiatry, this book provides an invaluable reference to which one can turn when faced with clinical problems in this area. I think this book belongs on the library shelf in any hospice and palliative care unit.
**
DEATH, DYING AND BEREAVEMENT
Issues for Practice
Jacqueline H. Watts
Dunedin Academic Press, 2009
112 pp
ISBN 978-1-906716-08-0
RRP £14.50, $US24.65
This book considers the social context of death and dying in Britain and the ramifications for service provision. Chapters cover the demography of death and dying in modern Britain, the philosophy and practice of palliative care, the evolution of hospice care, spirituality, and grief and bereavement. Of particular interest are the implications of the implementation of some of the current recommendations in the UK and Scotland regarding the broader availability of palliative care. This book will be of interest to any student of palliative medicine and will be an important reference for anyone involved with the planning and development of palliative care services in the future.
**
VOLUNTEERS IN HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE
A Resource for Voluntary Services Managers 2e
Ros Scott and Steven Howlett (Eds)
Oxford University Press, 2009
229 pp
ISBN 978 0 19 954582 7
RRP £24.95, $US49.95
My first problem with this book was the subtitle. A voluntary manager is one who is employed in a voluntary capacity, and this book goes to great lengths to discuss why this is frequently no longer the case. The acronym used throughout the book, VSM, has an unfortunate similarity to RSM, which for some will evoke memories of sounds and behaviour that you certainly don’t want in a palliative care service. What’s wrong with Manager of Volunteer Services or Coordinator of Volunteers?
The book is broadly divided into three sections. The first focuses on the context and role of the manager of volunteer services. The second considers specific areas of volunteer involvement. The editors aimed to set hospice volunteering in the context of the wider world of volunteering, but I don’t think this adds much. Some of the fire and energy of the first edition seems to have been lost and I am less interested in reading about how to deal with bureaucratic problems than with how volunteers (and their Manager) can make a difference to patients and their families. The last four chapters are more a record of ‘how we did it’ from Melbourne, South Africa, Montreal and India, which I found more interesting.
My quibbles aside, this book will be an invaluable resource for any Manager of Volunteer Services (no, I’m not backing down) and I admit that they need to be aware of potential bureaucratic, industrial and legal problems. But I felt the focus had drifted a little from organising a service to help patients and families to the structure and organization of the service itself.
**
PALLIATIVE CARE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
An Interdisciplinary Approach
Jayne Price and Patricia McNeilly (eds)
Palgrave McMillan, 2009
234 pp
ISBN 978-0-230-20002-9
RRP £18.99, $US32.00
This is a review of the continuing evolution of palliative care of children, written by contributors from Ireland and the UK. There are chapters on interdisciplinary working, effective communication, ethical issues, meeting spiritual needs, as well as symptom management and end-of-life care. It addresses both cancer and non-malignant diagnoses. It is well set out with adequate use of lists and tables as well as highlighted key points. It is very practical and clinically-orientated. A very good primer for anyone getting involved in paediatric palliative care.
**
LYMPHEDEMA CAREGIVER’S GUIDE
Arranging and Providing Home Care
Mary Kathleen Kearse, Elizabeth McMahon, Ann Ehrlich
Lymph Notes, 2009
452 pp
ISBN 978-0-9764806-7-9
RRP $US34.95, £24.95
This book provides a comprehensive review of all aspects of lymphedema, written for the patient and/or caregiver. It is not designed as a ‘self-help’ manual, but to be used as an information resource to complement professional therapy. There is a good basic description of anatomy and pathophysiology as well as details of various forms of treatment. I think this book would be useful to any patient with lymphedema who wanted to understand and participate in their own care.
**
ESSENTIALS IN HOSPICE PALLIATIVE CARE
A Resource for Caregivers
Katherine Murray
Life and Death Matters, 2009
171 pp
ISBN 978-0-9739828-1-7
RRP $US39.95, £27.50
This is a primer of palliative care, written by an experienced nurse. It covers pain and symptom control, the last days and hours, and how to communicate appropriately with the dying. This book would certainly be useful to nursing students, to other nurses not particularly familiar with palliative care, and to community health care workers. Mention is made that it may assist family caregivers, but I think some of it may be a little too medical.
**
MAY I WALK YOU HOME?
Courage and Comfort for Caregivers of the Very Ill
Stories by Joyce Hutchison, Prayers by Joyce Rupp
Ave Maria Press, 2009
174 pp
ISBN 978-1-59471-214-2
RRP $US 12.95
Twenty-five little stories, told by an oncology/palliative care nurse, describing many of the problems and struggles that may befall patients and their families at the end of life. Each is followed by a reflection that includes a meditation, a prayer, and a thought for the day. Pocket-sized, this book can accompany someone whose loved one is approaching the end of life and I think will indeed give them courage and comfort.
**
Roger Woodruff
(December 2009)
Dr. Woodruff is an IAHPC Board Member. For more information go to: http://www.hospicecare.com/Bio/r_woodruff.htm
View over 100+IAHPC hospice & palliative care book reviews
www.hospicecare.com/bookshop/hospice-palliative-care-book-reviews
Note for authors: If you wish to have your book reviewed, please send to:
Dr Roger Woodruff
IAHPC Bookshop Editor
210 Burgundy St, Suite 9
Heidelberg, Victoria 3084
AUSTRALIA
Note: Review copies become property of IAHPC and are not returned to the author. Only palliative care related books which are previously approved will be reviewed. Due to the large number of requests, we can't provide exact dates of when books will be reviewed.
Email this page to a friend!
Top of Page |
