Final Exit' on DVD (Book) - 7/8/2021 3:42:32 PM
This DVD is no longer on sale; few people now used DVDs.
How to make your own inert gas hood kit (Book) - 5/26/2020 3:05:56 PM
The particular book, and Ebook, is no longer available. Updated info. is in my other publications.
Let Me Die Before I Wake (Book) - 1/28/2019 3:19:03 PM
After 20 years in print, Let Me Die Before I Wake is now (2019)
only available as an Ebook at
http://www.finalexit.org/ergo-store/
Good Life, Good Dealth (Book) - 2/28/2018 1:36:23 PM
Despite my name being on the top of every other page, the reviewer. spells my name wrongly throughout. It is HUMPHRY without an e.
Also, my book reports that I left the LA Times in l980 and LA in l986. Otherwise a fair review. Thanks....Derek Humphry
Good Life, Good Dealth (Book) - 2/28/2018 11:55:33 AM
Good Life, Good Death Death
By Derek Humphrey
The topic of suicide has always been kept behind a shroud both at home and in public. Enter Derek Humphrey, the dean of the euthanasia movement in the United States. He is the author of many books on the subject, the most popular being Final Exit, a how to guide to ending, as he would say, a “Good Life’ by a “Good Death,” being assisted suicide by one’s own hand in a terminally ill situation, without pain and suffering. Hence his memoir, Good Life, Good Death.
Starting slowly as memoirs do, he clearly chronicles his young life in England as an impoverished youth from a broken home to becoming a prominent journalist. Euthanasia seemed the farthest thing from his mind until his first wife Jean had terminal cancer. But they had made a pact that if there was no hope and interminable suffering, he would act by furnishing her, and this is key, the means to end her own life, pills in this case.
Thereafter, Humphrey, now a journalist in Los Angeles, faced a decision, continue as a journalist or plunge into the task of leading the Hemlock Society he founded. To Humphrey, there simply was no choice. What follows is a very intricate history of how not only his organization but all euthanasia groups at home and abroad began to grow in the late 70’s. There was obviously a tidal wave of opposition from the clergy, lawmakers and the public, but Humphrey describes how he and his colleagues persevered and assisted suicide laws passed in some form in several western states and in other countries.
Notwithstanding painfully slow progress, Humphrey, in his 80’s, still lumbers on for the cause today, but a better history of the movement since his involvement you will not find elsewhere.
Irwin Leiter
An old book with a lasting message (Article) - 7/25/2018 9:50:52 AM
Thank you for alerting me to the book, Jean's Way. I have no problem with the word, euthanasia, and don't believe that I require assisted suicide to make my own decision or "right to life." Just like I would make my will or my "Do Not Resuscitate," order to any hospital that I enter.
While there may be some confusion caused by greedy relatives who seek some form of compensation for the death of their loved(?) one and concern about death being premature to benefit an insurance benefactor, etc., we should be able to choose when to end our own suffering. I understand that hospice does that with drugs. But drugs and other devices may keep us alive for very long time without functioning at all. Alzheimer's patients often spend long periods of time in nursing homes without functioning or even capable of assisted suicide until their inevitable death, wasting a lot of money for their care in the process.
Ron
The multiple language of dying and death (Article) - 11/2/2014 8:16:10 AM
After I stopped laughing, I got serious to address this. While Shakespeare was one of the most well-known, others have continually changed the English language and given it more new words all the time. The result is that those speaking other, simpler, languages trying to learn English are constantly baffled by the multiplicity of terms we have for various common, ordinary things, like death and dying.
Not wishing to be in a vegetative state for very long, kept alive for the benefit of the medical hospital complex coffers, and not at all egotistical about my need to stay alive for as long as medical science can keep my heart pumping, I have written several requests to be terminated when I can no longer write cow crap or bull ship like this and just become an eating and pooping machine.
Unfortunately, I'm sure the good people who read my requests (in multiple forms) will misinterpret and do with me what they will. I'm sure I will be in no position to do anything about it except scream internally in my mind while they manipulate me and can't hear it.
Now that's a great idea for a short story…
Ron
Be Careful With Whom You Share Plans (Article) - 1/26/2005 1:53:30 PM
Scary. It seems to me most people, including those who are against euthanasia while in top form, will more than likely change their minds and attitude when faced with their own suffering while on death's threshold. Thanks for the heads up. Very good article, excellent writing.
The Future of the Right-to-Die Movement (Article) - 11/27/2004 11:30:24 PM
I'm a big campaigner for the right to die. I'm glad you introduced this very important topic.
The Future of the Right-to-Die Movement (Article) - 11/24/2004 3:02:37 PM
I personally do not see why Dr. K should be in prison. When someone has no chance of recovering from an illness it should be their decision on whether they want to continue. Life sciences should be taught in highschool so that a well educated student will know what his options are should he become brain dead. However I object as a nurse to starving someone to death. The options should be made available where a person can sign their own document and have placed in a secure place.
Be Careful With Whom You Share Plans (Article) - 6/4/2002 2:37:12 PM
It is a tricky topic,but I feel nobody has the right to make the decision of how and when for me.It seems to me,that most of the people who are against euthanasia are so because of religious persuasion,that was not based on personal conviction,but rather on indoctrination.Those same people I often hear talking about sending our sons and daughters to war to kill other innocent and ablebodied young people or risk being killed themselves.It often was a bullet in the front from an unknown enemy,who was in the same boat,or one in the back from your own leaders.I will not call on anybody to take resposibility for whatever decision I made when I am to meet my Maker.If we believe to be living in a democratic society,then we should be able to determine our own fate.Man should be master of his own destiny.
Cutting-edge debate on elder suicide in the Netherlands (Article) - 12/23/2001 7:16:13 AM
Being a senior citizen I find this very interesting. I've often said it's a good thing we can't die just because we want to, but I wonder................
Cutting-edge debate on elder suicide in the Netherlands (Article) - 12/21/2001 2:21:50 PM
Good question. I keep it the back burner. It's my decision. Thank you for the informative and interesting update. You had me thinking about Cleopatra's search - anything further on the asp?
Happy Holidays!
David Arthur Walters
