2019; Volume 20, No 7, July
IAHPC Book Reviews
By Dr. Roger Woodruff, IAHPC Reviews Editor
Due to the lack of books sent for review, there are no book reviews in this issue. However, Dr. Roger Woodruff, IAHPC’s book reviewer, has released a book of his own.
IAHPC Co-Founder & Book Reviewer
Authors Monograph on Euthanasia
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: Are they clinically necessary or desirable?
Dr. Roger Woodruff
IAHPC Press, 2019
169 pp; online & pdf
Free for anyone to read online
Free download for IAHPC members
Download for non-members: USD$14.95
Note: Access all three versions here.
This week sees the IAHPC launch of Dr. Roger Woodruff’s book, Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: Are they clinically necessary or desirable?
The book is organized into three major sections. The first, titled ‘What’s Happened’, details the situation both past and present in six countries and territories where assisted dying has been practiced: the Netherlands, Australia’s Northern Territory, Oregon (USA), Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland.
For each country, the information is set out under several subheadings: Background (to the legalization), Guidelines (the rules and laws regarding the performance of assisted dying), and Numbers (the throughput). In addition, there are assessments about whether or not they meet their own guidelines, whether the systems of regulation and safeguards that are in place are effective, whether or not there is evidence of a slippery slope, and whether or not it reduces the (non-assisted) suicide rate. There is an enormous amount of information here about what is really happening in these jurisdictions, all carefully referenced. The text is enhanced by quotations from important players in the field.
The second section, ‘What Now?’, comprises a detailed discussion of the arguments for and against assisted dying, again with lots of references and pertinent quotations.
The final section, ‘What Others Say — Some Book Reviews’, comprises 56 of Dr. Woodruff’s reviews of books dealing with assisted dying that have been published over the last 20 years. It handily groups reviews of the increasingly extensive collection of books that weigh in on the euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide debate.
Readers of the IAHPC Book Reviews section of the newsletter will know in advance Dr. Woodruff’s position on the topic. This is an opportunity to consider the many facets of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, reflect upon the issues revealed when it is put into practice, and, perhaps, solidify or change one’s own opinion.
Editor’s note: You can read IAHPC’s position on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide here.
Roger Woodruff, MD (Australia)
Dr. Woodruff is a Lifetime Member of the IAHPC Board and Past Chair. His bio may be found here.
Note for authors and publishers
If you wish to have your book reviewed, please send it to:
Dr. Roger Woodruff
IAHPC Bookshop Editor
210 Burgundy St, Suite 9
Heidelberg, Victoria 3084
Australia
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