''Final Exit'' (fully titled ''Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying'') is a 1991 book written by
Derek Humphry, a
British-born
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
journalist,
author, and
assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is suicide undertaken with the aid of another person. The term usually refers to physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which is suicide that is assisted by a physician or other healthcare provider. Once it is determined that the p ...
advocate who co-founded the now-defunct
Hemlock Society in 1980 and co-founded the
Final Exit Network in 2004. The book was first published in 1991 by the Hemlock Society US in hardback. The following year, its 2nd edition was published by Dell in trade paperback. The current updated edition was published in 2010.
The book, often described as a "
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
manual", describes the means that the
terminally ill may use to end their lives. The book further outlines relevant
laws, techniques, and
living wills
An advance healthcare directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no ...
. ''Final Exit'' was perceived as controversial, and the book drove debate regarding the
right to die. Another concern was that people who were
mentally ill could use the information found in the book to end their lives. Despite the controversy, ''Final Exit'' reached #1 on
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in August of 1991.
Final Exit Network claims that approximately 750,000 copies have been sold in the United States and Canada and approximately 500,000 elsewhere. The book is banned in
France. ''Final Exit'' is Derek Humphry’s third book on the subject of self-euthanasia; it was preceded by ''
Jean's Way'' (1978) and ''The Right to Die: Understanding Euthanasia'' (1986)
Success of the book
In 1991, ''Final Exit'' spent 18 weeks on ''
The New York Times'' non-fiction
Best Seller list, it reached #1 in August and was selected by ''
USA Today'' in 2007 as one of the 25 most influential books of the quarter century.
It has been translated into 12 languages. The original
English language version is in its third edition.
In 2000, Derek Humphry recorded a
VHS video version of the information in the book; a
DVD version and a
Kindle
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Companies and products
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* Kindle Banking Systems, ...
version were released in 2006 and 2011, respectively. A 4th edition, 'Final Exit 2020' has been released as an Ebook.
The ethicist
Peter Singer included it on a list of his top ten books in ''The Guardian''.
Reception
''Final Exit'' has been a frequent target of censors; the novel appears on the
American Library Association list of the 100 Most
Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999 at number 29.
See also
*
Euthanasia device
*
Final Exit Network
*
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
*
Suicide methods
A suicide method is any means by which a person chooses to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a nonfatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, and bra ...
* ''
The Complete Manual of Suicide
is a Japanese book written by Wataru Tsurumi. He is the writer on the problem of "hardness of living" in Japanese society.
It was first published on July 4, 1993, and sold more than one million copies. In the postscript the author says: ”To t ...
'' by Wataru Tsurumi
* ''
The Peaceful Pill Handbook
''The Peaceful Pill Handbook'' is a book setting out information on assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. Written by the Australian doctor Philip Nitschke and lawyer Fiona Stewart, it was originally published in the U.S. in 2006. A Ger ...
'' by
Philip Nitschke
References
* The archives of the Hemlock Society and Derek Humphry are at the Allen Library, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Bibliography
* Docker, Chris "Five Last Acts II and The Exit Path"
* Humphry, Derek (1991). ''Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying''. .
* Humphry, Derek (2000). ''Supplement to Final Exit''.
* Humphry, Derek (2002). ''Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying'', 3rd edition. . Delta Trade Paperback. Revised and updated.
* Humphry, Derek (2002). ''Let Me Die Before I Wake & Supplement to Final Exit''.
* Humphry, Derek (2008) ''Good Life, Good Death: Memoir of an investigative reporter and pro-choice advocate''. Hardcopy and eBook.
*
* Sutherland, John (2008) ''Curiosities of Literature''
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.finalexit.org/
1992 non-fiction books
Books about suicide
Suicide methods
Self-help books
Euthanasia