The best-selling textbook in its field, "The Last Dance" offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of death and dying. Integrating the experiential, scholarly, social, individual, emotional, and intellectual dimensions of death and dying, this acclaimed text provides solid grounding in theory and research, as well as practical application to students' lives. The ninth edition has been updated to offer cutting-edge and comprehensive coverage of death studies.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Attitudes Toward Death: A Climate of Change Chapter 2 - Learning About Death: The Influence of Sociocultural Forces Chapter 3 - Perspectives on Death: Cultural and Historical Chapter 4 - Death Systems: Mortality and Society Chapter 5 - Health Care: Patients, Staff, and Institutions Chapter 6 - End-of-Life Issues and Decisions Chapter 7 - Facing Death: Living with Life-Threatening Illness Chapter 8 - Last Rites: Funerals and Body Disposition Chapter 9 - Survivors: Understanding the Experience of Loss Chapter 10 - Death in the Lives of Children and Adolescents Chapter 11 - Death in the Lives of Adults Chapter 12 - Suicide Chapter 13 - Threats of Horrendous Death Chapter 14 - Beyond Death / After Life Chapter 15 - The Path Ahead: Personal and Social Choices