A Year to Live

Rating:
Summary: How dare he write this book?
Review: I was diagnosed by Mayo Clinic with a malignant brain tumor in 12/2002. Having undergone two brain surgeries, radiation and 16 months of chemotherapy, I feel uniquely qualified to write this review.

In my case, and with hundreds of other brain tumor patients I know, the first year is spent in sheer terror, on a roller coaster ride of emotions and medical changes. For the incredibly lucky few that are still alive at the end of the first year (50% of malignant brain tumor patients die within six months of diagnosis), the terror gradually gives way to a bipolar life in which the patient simultaneously lives life as best s/he can, given physical / emotional / spiritual defecits, while living the emotional pain of knowing that in three months they could be dead; their spouse without a partner, their children without a parent.

Through this year, the lucky ones that live are able to reconsider their lives and determine in which baskets their proverbial eggs should be placed.

Levine, who has experience working with patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, should know better. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.

One can no better pretend to have one year of life left than they can pretend to live one year without the force of gravity. It simply can't happen. To give Levine the benefit of the doubt and allow him to use "A Year" as a metaphor is to do a disservice to the reader since "A Year" is an organizing concept of the book.

Rating:
Summary: How dare he write this book?
Review: I was diagnosed by Mayo Clinic with a malignant brain tumor in 12/2002. Having undergone two brain surgeries, radiation and 16 months of chemotherapy, I feel uniquely qualified to write this review.

In my case, and with hundreds of other brain tumor patients I know, the first year is spent in sheer terror, on a roller coaster ride of emotions and medical changes. For the incredibly lucky few that are still alive at the end of the first year (50% of malignant brain tumor patients die within six months of diagnosis), the terror gradually gives way to a bipolar life in which the patient simultaneously lives life as best s/he can, given physical / emotional / spiritual defecits, while living the emotional pain of knowing that in three months they could be dead; their spouse without a partner, their children without a parent.

Through this year, the lucky ones that live are able to reconsider their lives and determine in which baskets their proverbial eggs should be placed.

Levine, who has experience working with patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, should know better. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.

One can no better pretend to have one year of life left than they can pretend to live one year without the force of gravity. It simply can't happen. To give Levine the benefit of the doubt and allow him to use "A Year" as a metaphor is to do a disservice to the reader since "A Year" is an organizing concept of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Levine provides solutions for those in search of happiness
Review: Levine is a Buddhist and his book 'A Year To Live' reflects that. It's not a book that will appeal to those who bask smugly in their own self-sufficient world and think not of others. It is a book that can provide deep insight into the true nature of the human condition -- that all life is suffering with occasional happy moments. I'd recommend 'A Year To Live' to anyone suffering from a bereavement, or expecting one; to those struggling with elderly parents or relatives; to those trying to find some meaning in the life process and interested in 'what comes after' and above all, to all who are frightened of death.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a Book On Death that is Experiential
Review: Levines book differs from most books on death by providing some experiential exercises so the individual can gain personal insight rather then be directly fed the pre-digested great wisdom of so-called experts on death.This along with some of Sylvia Brownes books and 18 Mortal Acts could be used to learn more about ones own mortality and put it in a personal journal. In addition, Mr. Levine makes some sharp penetrating insights into how people deal or don't deal with death. The exercises he advocates are interesting and well constructed. A valuable book for those actively and openly exploring their mortality and who want to go beyond conforming to ideas from experts.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a Book On Death that is Experiential
Review: Levines book differs from most books on death by providing some experiential exercises so the individual can gain personal insight rather then be directly fed the pre-digested great wisdom of so-called experts on death.This along with some of Sylvia Brownes books and 18 Mortal Acts could be used to learn more about ones own mortality and put it in a personal journal. In addition, Mr. Levine makes some sharp penetrating insights into how people deal or don't deal with death. The exercises he advocates are interesting and well constructed. A valuable book for those actively and openly exploring their mortality and who want to go beyond conforming to ideas from experts.

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars if you're New Age, 2 if you're not, 4 to compromise
Review: Stephen Levine has worked with the Dying for several years, and wrote this book as an exercise to prepare to die by preparing to live. He relates his personal insights of the dynamic process of dying, and suggests an exercise to be undertaken by one who knows they have... only one year to live.

This is an exceptionally difficult book to review. On the five-star side, the author has some exceptional credentials and the work has been well-reviewed by people with a wide variety of perspectives. Some of his exercises (such as his "soft-belly" meditation, his advice to carefully observe our thoughts-as-they-arise, and his suggestions to recall and bid farewell to our most pleasant memories and to forgive our worst ones) are simply wonderful. They have aided my own practice immensely. I commend his gentle assurances that, despite our fears, All Should Be Well (most religious leaders have said the same thing). I think the author has made a noble effort to tackle a hugely difficult subject.

On the dark side, however, I wouldn't give this book to someone imminently facing the Great Gulp unless they were pretty comfortable with the New Age view of Death. Many good people feel preparing for death requires much regret, repentance, suffering, uncertainty, angst, fear, etcetera, and this book might provoke outrage from those people at a sensitive time without any corresponding redemptive value (I indeed respect a terminally-ill reviewer who trashed this book). The author seems to feel death should be kind of a peaceable, emotionally blissy, blend-with-the-infinite, far-out sort of experience. I wouldn't exactly say he views death as the spiritual equivalent of a trip to Disneyland but ... you get the picture. I'm sorry to again be so totally crass, but you have several financial and material responsibilities in preparing your loved ones for your after-death experience, and this book glossed over them pretty darn quickly. The book is New Age Ambiguous -- I looked over one section and put negatives in place of the positives, and it read pretty much the same either way. I'm skeptical the author's theology or ontology improve on the Buddha, who was silent regarding The Ultimate Question. I also agree with other reviewers who pointed out the twelve-month exercise is ultimately artificial and can degenerate into shallowness. Finally, no bibliography, no index, and no backup data for some Pretty Big Assertions-As-Facts.

I finally suggest four stars as a compromise. I also gave a respectable rating because of the sheer value of some of his meditational exercises, and suggest the book for those reasons alone.

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars if you're New Age, 2 if you're not, 4 to compromise
Review: Stephen Levine has worked with the Dying for several years, and wrote this book as an exercise to prepare to die by preparing to live. He relates his personal insights of the dynamic process of dying, and suggests an exercise to be undertaken by one who knows they have... only one year to live.

This is an exceptionally difficult book to review. On the five-star side, the author has some exceptional credentials and the work has been well-reviewed by people with a wide variety of perspectives. Some of his exercises (such as his "soft-belly" meditation, his advice to carefully observe our thoughts-as-they-arise, and his suggestions to recall and bid farewell to our most pleasant memories and to forgive our worst ones) are simply wonderful. They have aided my own practice immensely. I commend his gentle assurances that, despite our fears, All Should Be Well (most religious leaders have said the same thing). I think the author has made a noble effort to tackle a hugely difficult subject.

On the dark side, however, I wouldn't give this book to someone imminently facing the Great Gulp unless they were pretty comfortable with the New Age view of Death. Many good people feel preparing for death requires much regret, repentance, suffering, uncertainty, angst, fear, etcetera, and this book might provoke outrage from those people at a sensitive time without any corresponding redemptive value (I indeed respect a terminally-ill reviewer who trashed this book). The author seems to feel death should be kind of a peaceable, emotionally blissy, blend-with-the-infinite, far-out sort of experience. I wouldn't exactly say he views death as the spiritual equivalent of a trip to Disneyland but ... you get the picture. I'm sorry to again be so totally crass, but you have several financial and material responsibilities in preparing your loved ones for your after-death experience, and this book glossed over them pretty darn quickly. The book is New Age Ambiguous -- I looked over one section and put negatives in place of the positives, and it read pretty much the same either way. I'm skeptical the author's theology or ontology improve on the Buddha, who was silent regarding The Ultimate Question. I also agree with other reviewers who pointed out the twelve-month exercise is ultimately artificial and can degenerate into shallowness. Finally, no bibliography, no index, and no backup data for some Pretty Big Assertions-As-Facts.

I finally suggest four stars as a compromise. I also gave a respectable rating because of the sheer value of some of his meditational exercises, and suggest the book for those reasons alone.

Rating:
Summary: This is a life-changing book
Review: This book has changed my whole outlook on the world. Because of S. Levine & his insightful thinking, I went out on my birthday and wrote down my goals for the year based on what his book discussed. I am truly thankful for reading this book as it helped me to realized that NOW is the time to make changes if you are not happy with anything in your life. Don't wait for someday. I want to thank Stephen for this beautiful book and hope that it is as special and life-changing for others as it was for me.

Rating:
Summary: Not very practical
Review: This book has potential but it does not spell out very clearly what to do, How to Live This Year As If It Were Your Last. It is mostly poetic and full of jargon that the average person will not relate to. Maybe if one knows his language from being more familiar with the author it would be more clear, but this book on it's own is not easy to "grok". I like the premise but it's not a very useful book. It might be improved if there were a "workbook" with which to pair the poetic with the practical "how to" aspects of such an "experiment".

Rating:
Summary: Capable of spritually transforming lives.
Review: This powerful book can transform your life. The spiritual techniques suggested are not all new, but Levine writes in a manner that is easily understood and absorbed. Life is more vibrant if one lives each day as if were the last day in your life. Levine advises to live each day in this mode, fully in the present. His book contains numerous suggested spiritual meditations that will diminish one's fear of dying and death while increasing one's joy and appreciation of each new day.
Thank you Stephen for this book.