Ethnic Variations in Dying Death and Grief or Mental Fitness for Life

Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief: Diversity in Universality

Author: Donald P Irish

This volume is directed towards professionals who work in the fields concerning death and dying. These professionals must perceive the needs of people with cultural patterns which are different from the "standard and dominant" patterns in the United States and Canada. Accordingly, the book includes illustrative episodes and in-depth presentations of selected "ethnic patterns". Each of the "ethnic chapters" is written by an author who shares the cultural traditions the chapter describes. Other chapters examine multicultural issues and provide the means for personal reflection on death and dying. There are also two bibliographic sections, one general and one geared towards children. The text is divided into three sections - Cross-Cultural and Personal perspectives, Dying, Death, and Grief Among Selected Ethnic Communities, and Reflections and Conclusions. The book is aimed at those in the fields of clinical psychology, grief therapy, sociology, nursing, social and health care work.

MADDVOCATE

The strength of the book is that contributors write about their own traditions rather than reporting on studies about traditions... the reader gains a respect for the varied ways racial, ethnic, and cultural groups have learned to try to make sense of death.

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Mental Fitness for Life: 7 Steps to Healthy Aging

Author: Sandra A Cusack

This timely book, written by experts in gerontology and based on recent, solid research debunks the myth that slipping into one's dotage is inevitable for baby boomers. Authors Sandra Cusack and Wendy Thompson draw on studies from Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, and elsewhere to show how to keep an active, alert mind throughout life. The book explains the importance of goal setting, replacing old beliefs with "power thinking," finding "new creativity," and putting together a program and strategies that lead to staying mentally fit for life.