A Better Death, Ranjana Srivastava
A Better Death, Ranjana Srivastava
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A Better Death
Conversations about the art of living and dying well

Author: Ranjana Srivastava

Narrator: Felicity Jurd, Ranjana Srivastava

Unabridged: 6 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/20/2019


Synopsis

'Illuminating, inspiring and intensely practical' HUGH MACKAY, author of The Good Life
'Brimming with pathos and profound insights' KON KARAPANAGIOTIDIS, author of The Power of Hope

Of all the experiences we share, two universal events bookend our lives: we are all born and we will all die. We don't have a choice in how we enter the world, but we can have a say in how we leave it.

In order to die well, we must be prepared to contemplate our mortality and to broach it with our loved ones, who are often called upon to make important decisions on our behalf. These are some of the most important conversations we can have with each other – to find peace, kindness and gratitude for what has gone before, and acceptance of what is to come.

Dr Ranjana Srivastava draws on two decades of experience to share her observations and advice on leading a meaningful life and finding dignity and composure at its end. With an emphasis on advocacy, leaving a legacy, and staying true to our deepest convictions, Dr Srivastava tells stories of strength, hope and resilience in the face of grief, and offers an optimistic meditation on living and dying well.

‘At last, a book that teaches us how to die with kindness, courage and grace’ CAROLINE BAUM, author of Only
‘The perfect balm for a fearful and technocratic world’ MICHAEL McGIRR, author of Books that Saved My Life
‘What a gift! Read it and give it to everyone you love’ KATE RICHARDS, author of Madness: A Memoir
‘Irresistibly compassionate, convincing and wise’ MORAG ZWARTZ, author of Being Sam
‘Moving and informative, this book will leave an indelible mark’ AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY

Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM is an oncologist, award-winning writer, broadcaster and Fulbright scholar.
www.ranjanasrivastava.com

About Ranjana Srivastava

Dr Ranjana Srivastava is a practising Australian oncologist, award-winning author and Fulbright scholar. Educated in India, the UK, the United States and Australia, she is the recipient of the Monash University Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award, the JFK Merit Award from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to doctor-patient communication. Ranjana’s writing has been published worldwide, including in Time magazine and The Week, and in prominent medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet and JAMA. Her columns in the Guardian on the intersection of medicine and humanity have been twice nominated as a finalist for the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. In 2024, Beehive News named her the top international health columnist out of a field of 15,000 journalists. Her acclaimed non-fiction books include Tell Me the Truth (shortlisted, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards), Dying For a Chat (winner, the Human Rights Literature Prize) and What It Takes to Be a Doctor (finalist, The Australian Career Book Award).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anna

One of the most captivating books I have read. Mortality is inherent to all of us. Our impending death as a human being is the only thing of which we can be sure. The information and ancedotes expressed in this book are extremely useful to assist and guide healthcare for clinicians, but I hope it is......more

Goodreads review by Suzanne

Beautifully described experiences of walking alongside people during their final journey. Kindness and compassionate care evident as the author describes the many shades of grey that exists in oncology. How each person is different and patient centered care requires the treating health professional......more

Goodreads review by Ellen

I read this book as I am thinking through a recent death, and I thought a book written by a doctor who has a lot to do with death may be helpful. It was interesting in the matter of fact, and yet compassionate way of dealing with the discussion of death. It was also reassuring. I would suggest this......more

Thoughtful. Compassionate. Kind. I recommended to a friend - we have a mutual friend with stage 4 cancer. Life lessons (or is that death lessons?) that we should all be taught. Sure, it's a bloody tough and confronting subject, but we all die, so let's prepare well. I saw my father suffer a 'bad' de......more


Quotes

‘Uplifting and forthright, calm and positive – and alive to all our needs’

‘At last, a book to help us prepare for the end of life, with tremendous warmth, wisdom and compassion’ 

‘Death is a subject most of us try to avoid, and all of us need to discuss. I can’t imagine a better starting-point for that conversation than Ranjana Srivastava’s illuminating, inspiring and intensely practical book. The things we most want in a doctor – kindness, compassion, empathy and the reassuring blend of technical skill and professional integrity – are all here, shining through every word.'

‘A book brimming with pathos and profound insights on facing death with compassion, kindness and forgiveness for ourselves and those we may be caring for who are dying. In helping us grapple with our own mortality with unflinching honesty and pragmatism Dr Srivastava empowers us to live our lives to the full with an urgency and authenticity that will transform all our lives for the better.’