Praise for Lethal Choice...
Fast paced and full of suspense, Lethal Choice captures the essential controversies surrounding end-of-life issues. Dr. Terman’s clear insight is timely. Heated debates continue over legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide at the state and federal levels. On an individual level, court cases feud over refusing nutrition and hydration to patients with greatly diminished consciousness. A successful dramatization of both sides of such issues, this medical thriller is as informative as it is exciting.
—Philip S. Cifarelli, MD, JD, FACP, FACG, FCLM
Attorney at Law, Past President of the
American College of Legal Medicine
Wonderful twists and surprising turns make Lethal Choice so compelling that I could not put it down. But there is another reason this book is a must read. Whether we are young or old, we all should let our families know our last wishes for healthcare. This medical thriller, though fictional, is based on facts that will stimulate much discussion.
--Irene J. Morris, RN
University of California Irvine
Student Health Infirmary and Emergency Room (retired).
Lethal Choice is at the cutting edge of ethical and public policy issues in end-of-life health care. Over fifty concepts in ethics, medicine, law, and public policy are seamlessly woven into the plot without any contrivance or awkwardness. Despite this conceptual content, the story is so compelling that once I began reading it, I found it difficult to pause for meals much less to sleep. I had to struggle with the impulse to skip ahead as the scene changed to learn if, or how, the characters could overcome their challenges. In a word, this medical thriller is a masterpiece of suspense.
--from Ronald B. Miller, MD’s Foreword
Director Emeritus of the Program in Medical Ethics
University of California, Irvine
Praise for The BEST WAY to Say Goodbye-- A Legal Peaceful Choice at the End of Life...
A comprehensive, insightful, and surprisingly entertaining guide through the maze of end-of-life decisions. Its solid information and concrete recommendations calm our greatest fear: that complete strangers can intrude on our most intimate decisions, and worse -- make decisions that are wrong because they are decisions we would not make for ourselves. Dr. Terman offers a close to ironclad strategy to preserve control at the end of life, even for those individuals who may ultimately suffer from severe brain damage or dementia. There isn’t a pitfall that his book has not considered, and solved! It also offers guidance for those who must now avoid the chaos that results from inadequate preparation for end-of-life challenges. This book is so good that our organization keeps copies at every office. It is a mainstay of the recommendations we provide our clients. Knowledge is power; read this book!
--Barbara Coombs Lee, PA, FNP, JD
Family Nurse Practitioner and Attorney
President and Co-CEO, Compassion & Choices
Chief Petitioner for the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
Dr. Terman’s eloquent and at times deeply personalized account of the challenges of life nearing death offers a unique and useful vocabulary for our emerging national dialogue on end-of-life choices. At last, a comprehensive look at the medical, legal, and spiritual aspects of the dying process that explores the full range of patient options, while highlighting the often-overlooked process of voluntary refusal of food and fluid. The Best Way to Say Goodbye adds depth and sensibility to an area that is rampant with controversy because of its perceived lack of common ground. This book is that common ground, making it a must-read for all whose diverse views make up the colorful “right to die” spectrum.
--Judith F. Daar, JD
Professor of Law, Whittier Law School,
Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of California Irvine
You choose to make quality decisions for life, so in parallel you choose to make quality decisions for death . . . if you are free to choose, of course. After four centuries of understandable distrust, African Americans are wary of “healers” who make life and death decisions regarding them. Many remember the Tuskegee experiment as a classic example of the historical and hysterical pain of misplaced trust. Yet Dr. Stanley A. Terman, a Diplomate in Psychiatry, must be commended for examining this specific area in the context of other options of life and death. Also, the section of his book on religion is just awesome. It held me spellbound with its depth of understanding of our differences and our commonalities as we debate the issue of life and death. If any work should be required reading, this would qualify beyond doubt. I expect the demand for such a work of excellence will only escalate within this decade and beyond. I have personally used its insights in working with families and I have seen how they can bring great relief in the struggle to make “their best” end-of-life decisions.
--Reverend Cecil L. “Chip” Murray
Tanzy Chair of Christian Ethics
School of Religion, University of Southern California
Pastor Emeritus, First African Methodist Episcopal Church
Los Angeles, California
Regarding Dr. Terman’s Declaration, an affidavit submitted to Judge Greer, who presided over case of Terri Schiavo:
Mr. Gibbs and I certainly appreciate medical personnel like you who were willing to stand by Terri [Schiavo]. The pro-death culture is becoming overwhelming in America. I pray that doctors like you will be able to stem the tide in the future. Thank you again for your willingness to help Terri.
-- Barbara Weller, Esq
Attorney for the Schindlers (Terri Schiavo’s parents)
Gibbs Law Firm, Seminole, Florida