Dr. Ira Byock, one of the foremost palliative-care physicians in the country, argues that how we die is among the biggest national crises facing us today.

In addressing the sorry state of dying in America, politics has trumped reason. Dr. Byock explains that to ensure the best possible care for those we love—and eventually ourselves—we must not only remake our healthcare system, we must also move past our cultural aversion to talking about dying and acknowledge the fact of mortality once and for all. In so doing, we can live emotionally authentic, healthier, and more joyful lives.

Dr. Byock describes what palliative care really is, and—with a doctor’s compassion and insight—puts a human face on the issues by telling richly moving, heart-wrenching, and uplifting stories of real people during the most difficult moments in their lives. 

Byock takes us inside his busy, leading-edge academic medical center to show what the best care through the end of life can look like and how doctors and nurses can profoundly shape the way families experience loss.

Much MORE at DyingWell.org