First published in the UK in 2016 by Head of Zeus Ltd.
Published in the US in 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books.
Available to purchase on Amazon here.
We have lost the ability to deal with death. Most of the dying spend their last days in general hospitals and nursing homes, in the care of strangers. They may not even know they are dying, victims of the kindly lie that there is still hope. They are often robbed of their dignity after a long series of excessive and hopeless interventions.
This is the starting point of Seamus O’Mahony’s book on the Western way of dying. Dying has never been more exposed, with public figures writing detailed memoirs of their illnesses, but in private we have done our best to banish all thought of death.
Dying has become medicalized and sanitized, but doctors cannot prescribe a ‘good death’. The Way We Die Now asks us to consider how we have got to this age of spiritual poverty, and argues that giving up our fantasies of control over death can help restore its significance.
Praise for The Way We Die Now
“A searingly honest and humane book that is challenging yet profoundly important.” (PD Smith, the Guardian)
“Trenchant but compassionate” (Jane Shilling, Daily Mail)
“this wonderful, humane book . . .” (Gabriel Weston, the Telegraph)
“the first and most important thing to say about this book is that it’s a joy to read. . . I hope that when I die I have a doctor like O’Mahony to look after me, a doctor who is deeply conscious of the many failings of medicine and his own fragility.” (Richard Smith, BMJ Blogs: Medical Humanities)
“occasionally grumpy, sometimes bleakly humorous and always tough-provoking” (Breda O’Brien, Irish Times)
“a compelling treatise on the current culture of death in the western world” (Sara Keating, Sunday Business Post)
“this brave, timely and uncompromising book” (Brendan Daly, Irish Examiner)
“bracing and unsentimental” (Nicci Gerrard, the Guardian)
“this compelling, thought-provoking book” (Julian Hughes, the Tablet)
“provocative and effective” (Fiona Wilson, The Times)
“He makes a powerful plea to bring common sense, medical wisdom and compassion into end of life care” (Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald)
“the book forces you to confront the most uncomfortable of subjects. This is a good thing.” (Alex Dean, Prospect)
“O’Mahony’s clear-eyed analysis is important, poignant, and immensely humane.” (Publishers’ Weekly)
“His book is considered and serious, as the subject demands, seasoned with rich anecdotes and appropriate humour, and above all uplifting.” (Peter Hegarty, The Irish Catholic).
“This engaging book takes us on a personal journey with a doctor reflecting on the meaning of death” (Levina Smook, the Psychologist)
“This is a book filled with profound insights” (John Meredith, Touchstone)
“a forceful indictment of the entire Western culture surrounding death” (Rachel Dolan, Health Matters)
“a valuable and thoughtful treatment” (Bernadette McGrath, Library Journal)
“this erudite but readable book . . .” (Claire Stark Toller, Triple Helix)