A Columbia University physician comes across a popular medieval text on dying well written after the horror of the Black Plague and discovers ancient wisdom for rethinking death and dying, gaining insight today on how we can learn the lost art of dying well in this wise, clear-eyed book that is as compelling and soulful as Being Mortal, When Breath Becomes Air, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

As a specialist in both medical ethics and the treatment of older patients, Dr. L. S. Dugdale knows a great deal about the end of life and the complexities of modern end-of-life care. Far too many of us die poorly, she argues. Our culture has overly medicalized death: dying is often institutional and sterile, prolonged by unnecessary resuscitations and other intrusive interventions. We are not going gently into that good night-our reliance on modern medicine can actually prolong suffering and strip us of our dignity. Yet our lives do not have to end this way.

Centuries ago, in the wake of the Black Plague, a text was published offering advice to help the living prepare for a good death. Written during the late Middle Ages, ars moriendi-The Art of Dying-made clear that to die well, one first had to live well and described what practices, as part of end-of-life planning, best help us prepare. When Dugdale discovered this Medieval book, it was a revelation. Inspired by its holistic approach to the final stage we must all one day face, she draws from this forgotten work, combining its wisdom with the knowledge she has gleaned from her long medical career. The Lost Art of Dying is a twenty-first century ars moriendi, filled with much-needed insight and thoughtful guidance that will change our perceptions. By recovering our sense of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, developing meaningful rituals, and involving our communities in end-of-life care and spiritual care, we can discover what it means to both live and die well. And like the original ars moriendi, The Lost Art of Dying includes nine black-and-white drawings from artist Michael W. Dugger.

Dr. Dugdale offers a hopeful perspective on death and dying as she shows us how to adapt the wisdom from the past to our lives today. The Lost Art of Dying is a vital, affecting book that reconsiders death, death culture, and how we can transform how we practice living well each day, including our last. 

Drawing on centuries of wisdom and modern medical experience, this book provides a compassionate roadmap for navigating the end of life:

• Ancient Wisdom for a Modern Death: Learn what the medieval ars moriendi teaches us about preparing for the end-and how its lessons on living a full life are more relevant than ever.
• Medical Ethics in Practice: Gain insight from Dr. Dugdale's patient stories that reveal the challenges of our medicalized death culture and the difficult choices families face.
• Palliative Care and Comfort: Understand the difference between prolonging suffering and providing meaningful comfort, with guidance on how to advocate for dignity in end-of-life care.
• Grief and Bereavement: Explore how developing meaningful rituals and involving community can help not only the dying but also provide a framework for those left behind.
• A Framework for Living: Discover how confronting our finitude, accepting our aging bodies, and facing our fears can transform how we live each day.

A Columbia University physician comes across a popular medieval
text on dying well written after the horror of the Black Plague and discovers
ancient wisdom for rethinking death and gaining insight today on how we can
learn the lost art of dying well in this wise, clear-eyed book that is as
compelling and soulful as Being Mortal, When Breath Becomes
Air, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.



As a specialist in both medical ethics and the treatment of older patients, Dr.
L. S. Dugdale knows a great deal about the end of life. Far too many of us die
poorly, she argues. Our culture has overly medicalized death: dying is often
institutional and sterile, prolonged by unnecessary resuscitations and other
intrusive interventions. We are not going gently into that good night—our
reliance on modern medicine can actually prolong suffering and strip us of our
dignity. Yet our lives do not have to end this way.

Centuries
ago, in the wake of the Black Plague, a text was published offering advice to
help the living prepare for a good death. Written during the late Middle Ages, ars
moriendi—The Art of Dying—made
clear that to die well, one first had to live well and described what practices
best help us prepare. When Dugdale discovered this Medieval book, it was a
revelation. Inspired by its holistic approach to the final stage we must all
one day face, she draws from this forgotten work, combining its wisdom with the
knowledge she has gleaned from her long medical career. The Lost Art of Dying is a
twenty-first century ars moriendi, filled with much-needed insight and
thoughtful guidance that will change our perceptions. By recovering our sense
of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, developing
meaningful rituals, and involving our communities in end-of-life care, we can
discover what it means to both live and die well. And like the original ars
moriendi, The Lost Art of Dying includes nine black-and-white drawings
from artist Michael W. Dugger.




Dr.
Dugdale offers a hopeful perspective on death and dying as she shows us how to
adapt the wisdom from the past to our lives today. The Lost Art of Dying is a vital, affecting
book that reconsiders death, death culture, and how we can transform how we
live each day, including our last. 

“This insightful book accurately describes the widespread dysfunction that occurs when we are distracted from the consideration of our own mortality.”