Presents differing views on the various social aspects surrounding death and dying worldwide. Causes of death are examined, including increases in mortality due to AIDS in Africa, drug abuse in Scotland, and suicide in Ireland. Chapters discuss access to palliative end-of-life care and assisted suicide; influences of the world's major religions and their beliefs, traditions and rituals surrounding death; and funeral practices around the world.

Electronic reproduction.

End-of-life care should be minimal and swift / Ken Murray -- End-of-life care should not necessarily be minimal and swift / Cynthia Jones-Nosacek -- Economics should influence end-of-life care decisions / Susan Jacoby -- Economics should not influence end-of-life care decisions / Mike Stopa -- The government should ration end-of-life care / M. Gregg Bloche -- The government should not ration end-of-life care / Ken Connor -- Terminally ill people have the right to die when and how they want / Samuel Smith -- Terminally ill people do not have the right to die when and how they want / Fritz Spencer -- Legalizing physician-assisted suicide will lead to abuse and coerced death / Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley -- Legalized physician-assisted suicide has many safeguards to prevent abuse and coerced death / Marcia Angell -- Hospice care is preferable to assisted suicide / Linda Campanella -- Hospice care is not preferable to assisted suicide / John Crisp -- It can be moral to end the lives of children / Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva -- It is never moral to end the lives of children / Andrew Brown -- Technology may allow humans to live forever / Ray Kurzweil interviewed by Duncan Begg.