Death on Demand: Jack Kevorkian and the Right-to-Die Movement

(Hardback)

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Death on Demand explores the polarizing role of Jack KevorkianDr. Deathas the most visible leader of the right-to-die movement. From a feature on the cover of Time magazine to interviews on shows like 60 Minutes, Kevorkian was a high-profile figure in the right-to-die movement, capturing constant media attention as he helped more than one hundred people kill themselves. The book opens with the death of Janet Adkins in 1990Kevorkians first assisted suicidethen travels back to Kevorkians medical school days and follows his nearly four decades as a lone activist. Death on Demand draws on Kevorkians interviews and published work as well as newspaper and magazine articles to describe the doctors publicity stunts, criminal trials, years in prison, and activities after he was paroled. Author Michael DeCesare examines Kevorkians actions in the context of the right-to-die movement to understand his crucial role in bringing the controversial practice of assisted suicide into the public conversation.

Reviews

For those who are interested in the right-to-die movement or the controversial figure nicknamed Doctor Death, this new book is an essential read. * Harvard Law Review *
Death on Demand is written for a general audience, but it references sociological concepts and theories that will make it useful for academic readers, too....His rhetoric analysis will also interest those who study discourse on morality and altruism, particularly his evaluation of how the framing of these issues by supporters and protesters of physician-assisted suicide has changed over time. Finally, scholars in the fields of health and politics will also find value in the attention that DeCesare gives to how states and institutions restrict and enable health and how activism and public opinion shape medical laws and practices. * Contemporary Sociology *
Death on Demand captures the important change agent that was Dr. Jack Kevorkian, whose actions caused a national examination of laws surrounding dying in America. With comprehensive treatment, DeCesare has produced a well-written and well-paced exploration of Kevorkians efforts and the ongoing debate in American society. He places Kevorkian and his efforts deftly in the context of the shifts in American policy and practice, which Kevorkian both challenged and changed. -- John Dombrink, University of California, Irvine

Author Bio

Michael DeCesare is professor and chair of the sociology department at Merrimack College. He is coeditor of New Directions in Sociology and author of A Discipline Divided.