Rating: 
Summary: An extremely complex & controversial issue
Review: There will always be the person who gives 5 stars and the one who gives one star... this issue is extremely complex. Regardless, I feel that the work that Derek Humphry has done and is still fighting very hard to accomplish is extremely important for a percentage of people. Not all. But even if the percentage is small, they are people who suffer beyond our imaginations and desperately need compassionate help which may be self-deliverance. I believe that this is a reality that we do not want to face... at the same time, we cannot be blamed for feeling this way either for it is natural to want our loved ones to live as long as allowed. Nevertheless, I have respect for people such as Derek Humphrey and Dr. Kevorkian for there dedications in this time.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the Faint Hearted or Depressed Reader
Review: This book is no doubt very controversial and not for your average every day reader. As a person who has been personally affected by the act of suicide as well as a witness to long drawn-out illness with needless suffering, I took this book very seriously and I admired the bravery of the author to take on the subject of death. Two of the most avoided subjects of our society are death and sex. Since not everyone enjoys hearing about either subject at some point or another you should be advised that his book does not talk about sex, so you're halfway there, only death and the dying. The jury is still out on Euthanasia especially if you are morally opposed to it. There are many arguments on both sides of the spiritual realm for and against, many good ones. However, to fully be able to form an opinion you need to look at things very closely from all angles. It pains me to learn that some wanting to end their life prematurely without terminal illness or great physical pain has used this book. It also gives me grief to witness others go through such suffering needlessly in some very extreme cases. I found this text to be very informative at least on the subject of death itself. One needs to have a good head on their shoulder and be willing to read this book without bias. I recommend this book if only to open ones mind on the subject. However, I also caution and plead with you that if you have ill intentions on your healthy non-terminal illness self to use this book for your own Final Exit without being terminally ill, I beg you to seek help elsewhere as this book is not for you. We often avoid the subject of death in conversation and thought for our own comfort but also sometimes at the expense of others. If you have an open and healthy mind, this book will not hurt you, merely make you more knowledgeable and perhaps comfortable with a topic we'd rather avoid like an elephant in our living room.
Rating: 
Summary: The best resource on suicide for terminal patients
Review: This humane, cautious guide is excellent for anyone considering ending suffering from an incurable or terminal disease. It is thorough, thoughtful, and easy to read. If you want the most updated info on the means and procedure, make sure you get this version, and not the earlier hardback.
Rating:
Summary: Readers need to remember one thing:
Review: This is not a book telling you to commit suicide. So many people felt lives would not have been lost without this book. This is wrong. A suicidal person will always find a way. This is a book that is intended to help the terminally ill who need an easy passing. Try to imagine yourself, suffering, in unbearable agony, your own suffering making all of your loved ones hearts break a little daily, no end in sight, just the knowledge that if you sleep at all, when you wake, the agony will continue, not just for you but for everyone. Often, too often, doctors will limit and provide dosages of pain relief that are inadequate, because there are times when the pain is untouchable by modern drugs. Ask yourself: Will your loved ones suffer more after your death than they are now? THAT, dear readers, is what this book means. It offers a glimmer of light for the terminally ill. That is all. It does not in any way intend itself for depressed people, but depressed people will buy it, and read it, and perhaps follow it to the end. They suffer too, their pain is as real as the physical pain of a terminally ill patient, do not expect the book ever to be banned to depressed or mentally ill patients only. I respect any terminally ill patient's decision to use the guidelines in this book to assist in an end that will allow them to finally erase the agony, the physical torture, the lives wreaked with havoc and pain because of their illnesses. Those of you who do not understand Derek Humphrey's motive should read this book again. Those of you who do not understand your relative or loved one's decision to act on the guidelines in this book need to make peace with yourselves, and put the blame where it really belongs, nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: Compassionate, caring style, but inadequate information
Review: This was a pioneering book when it was first published. It still has the merits of unmatched simplicity and clarity, but there is a MUCH more comprehensive (if harder to read) book on the same subject, "Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Methods and Consequences" by Geo Stone. I recommend both---they're surprisingly different---but if I were interested in anything other than plastic bag asphyxia (and even here Stone's book is more informative), Stone's would be my first choice.
Rating:
Summary: Appreciating Life
Review: What I like most about this man is that he genuinely appreciates life and encourages people to live....surprised? This book is not aimed at everyone, only the terminally ill. He strongly discourages people from taking their own life unless they're sick. I respect his view that humans have the right to end their existence, even if the problem is mental distress, not physical. I did see a few methods that anyone who can walk themselves to the store with some cash on hand can do. Those methods require no doctor or hard-to-get materials. For sure, anyone with access to a doctor can use this book as a guide to obtain the essential materials needed. I did wish the book had more methods of self deliverence (that are available without prescription), and more detailed instructions on using prescribed drugs.
| 
