Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia

by Neal Nicol, Harry L. Wylie, Harry Wylie

Dr. Jack Kevorkian--the enigmatic and intrepid physician dubbed "Dr. Death"--has for years declined public interviews about his life and the events that led him to be a vehement advocate of doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. But here, finally, is his own life story, as told to Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie.
Dr. Kevorkian gained international notoriety in the 1990s for his passionate advocacy of choice for terminal patients,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0299217108
• ISBN13: 9780299217105
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

JACK KEVORKIAN--HIS SIDE OFTHE STORY

Neal Nicol & Harry Wylie Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia (Madison, WI: Terrace Books/University of Wisconsin Press, 2006) 273 pages (ISBN: 0-299-21710-8; hardcover) (Library of Congress call number: R726.N53 2006) (Medical call number: WZ100K43n 2006) This is an authorized biography of Jack Kevorkian, written by two of his close friends and associates. It is based on information provided by Dr. Kevorkian and on their own personal experiences of some of the events described. Before going into Kevorkian's family background and early life, the first chapter deals with the death of Thomas Youk, which was the last death Jack Kevorkian assisted with, and which sent him to jail in 1999 for 10-25 years, convicted of second-degree murder. (Kevorkian was ultimately released after only 8 years.) Tom Youk was dying from ALS and by the time he called upon Dr. Kevorkian for assistance, he could not operate any device that would cause his death. Therefore, Dr. Kevorkian agreed to give him a lethal injection. Most of the safeguards Kevorkian had advanced for others were simply skipped because the need for relief was so immediate. Instead of waiting for a week for Youk and his family to think it over, Kevorkian agreed to go back the next day to aid Tom Youk in his voluntary death. This death was clearly chosen by the patient, even tho he could do nothing to bring about his own death. But none of the people involved considered voluntary death by dehydration, which would have been a completely legal choice. Even a patient who literally cannot lift a finger but who is still mentally able to make medical decisions could decide to give up all food and water. And all who are around such a patient would witness that it was a truly voluntary choice, reaffirmed perhaps 100 times before death comes 7-10 days later. Several other deaths assisted by Dr. Kevorkian are discussed briefly. In retrospect, even Jack Kevorkian probably would agree that it would have been better for him to follow some of his own safeguards rather than spending 8 years of his life in Michigan prisons. It might have taken as much as a week to fulfill the most relevant safeguards. With such documents available --proving that each death was a wise, end-of-life medical choice-- the prosecutor would probably never have considered bringing charges. And even if there were a trial, the overwhelming evidence of the fulfilled safeguards would have convinced even the most skeptical judge and/or jury that this death was wisely chosen, that it was: a benefit to the patient, rational, well-planned, & admirable. All who follow in Kevorkian's footsteps should learn from his mistakes. Do more preparation before the death, making sure it is a wise choice, rather than arguing fine points of the law after the death. This reviewer believes that all 26 of his recommended safeguards could have been fulfilled in the Thom