Final Exit
| Final Exit | |
|---|---|
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| Author(s) | Derek Humphry |
| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Dell |
| Publication date | August 1, 1992 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 213 |
| ISBN | 0-440-50488-0 |
Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying is a controversial 1992 self help book by Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in California and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.
A newspaper journalist and author who helped his wife, Jean, end her life with an intentional overdose of medication after a long and painful decline from terminal cancer, Humphry wrote the book as a how-to guide for terminally ill people who wish to end their lives. The controversy arose not only from the intense debate over whether one should have a right to end one's own life, and whether anyone, especially medical professionals, can ethically assist self-chosen euthanasia, but also because the information in the book can be used by anyone, not just the terminally ill.
The book covers many aspects of planning and carrying out "self-deliverance", from the decision of whether and when one is ready to die, to the careful protection of anyone assisting one's preparations, to the legal and financial preparations for those one leaves behind. But the bulk of the work consists of the advantages and disadvantages and the processes for a variety of suicide methods.
In 2000, a Supplement to Final Exit was published with a new chapter on a method using helium gas as an alternative not requiring controlled prescription drugs. In 2001, marking the book's 10th anniversary, this information was included in the revised 3rd edition of the book. In 2005, an electronic addendum to the 3rd edition was released, offering refinements to the helium bag technique. The addendum was updated May 2009.
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Success of the book [edit]
In 1991, the first edition was the number one bestselling nonfiction book in America for 18 weeks and has sold over a million copies. In 2011 it was in an updated edition from Dell, New York.[citation needed]
Final Exit has been translated into 12 languages and is banned by law only in France. In 2011, it remained in print in English, Spanish and Italian.
In April 2007, the editors and book critics of the American national newspaper USA TODAY selected Final Exit as one of the 25 most memorable books of the last quarter century.
Humphry subsequently put the information in this book onto a VHS video (2000) and a DVD (2006), both available through ERGO.
The ethicist Peter Singer included it on a list of his top ten books in The Guardian.[1]
References in pop culture [edit]
- Industrial metal band Fear Factory uses quotes from Humphry's video in the last track, "Final Exit", of their seventh studio album Mechanize.[citation needed]
- In a Christmas episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Dr. Forrester gives TV's Frank a copy of the book as a gift after he reveals that he stole Frank's blood to pay for it.
- In episode 11 of the sixth season of Married With Children, Al Bundy can be seen reading this book while in bed.
See also [edit]
- Final Exit Network
- The Complete Manual of Suicide by Wataru Tsurumi
- The Peaceful Pill Handbook by Philip Nitschke
- Suicide
- Suicide methods
- Euthanasia device
References [edit]
- ^ Singer, Peter (6 April 2001). "Peter Singer's top 10 books". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- Humphry, Derek (1991). Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying. ISBN 0-9606030-3-4.
- Humphry, Derek (2000). Supplement to Final Exit. ISBN 978-0-9637280-3-6
- Humphry, Derek (2002). Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying, 3rd edition. ISBN 0-385-33653-5. Delta Trade Paperback. Revised and updated.
- Humphry, Derek (2002). Let Me Die Before I Wake & Supplement to Final Exit. ISBN 978-1-4011-0286-9
- Humphry, Derek (2008) Good Life, Good Death: Memoir of an investigative reporter and pro-choice advocate. Hardcopy and eBook. ISBN 978-0-9768283-3-4
