Praise for Dear Death,
“As an end-of-life doula, Dear Death, is an impactful and engaging read that I will forever use as a resource when working with the dying and their loved ones. As a human, it was less of a reading experience and more like spending precious time with a dear friend. Diane lovingly and authentically shares learnings from her own personal life and from the many she's served and known. Her voice and wisdom is clear throughout the book as she invites you to see your mortality as a gift, to live with intent and kindness, and to pause and be grateful. Like a true friend, "Dear Death," holds space with you and offers you a safe place to rest, grieve, and celebrate.”
— Angela Shook, president of National
End-of-Life Doula Alliance
“As a teacher of Buddhist philosophy in which awareness of, and acceptance of, the inevitability of death is seen as the key to liberating the mind from suffering, I read Diane Button's Dear Death, with great pleasure. I find it a contemporary, genuinely accessible guide to waking up to the universal truth that death, at every age and in every circumstance, is a manageable life experience and as sacred, in its own way, as birth. I found reading this book exhilarating.”
— Sylvia Boorstein, co-founding teacher
Spirit Rock Meditation Center and
author of Happiness is an Inside Job
“Beyond helping to prepare us for our final days, Dear Death, reignites one's passion to live a life of purpose. Inspired by her many years of caring for those who are dying and her own journey with cancer, Diane Button has crafted a gentle, welcoming guide for all mortals yearning for a deeper sense of wholeness and meaning.
— Francesca Lynn Arnoldy, author of
Cultivating the Doula Heart: Essentials
of Compassionate Care and Map of
Memory Lane
“Diane combines elements of love, surprise and provocation when addressing the known, as well as the unknowable in Dear Death. The read was delicately powerful, and sometimes spellbinding, with a gentle nudge of honest reflection. As a reader, I felt Diane's profound affection towards life... and death.”
— Michelle W. Thornhill, Legacy & Hope, LLC;
and board director, National End-of-Life Doula Alliance
“Dear Death, is a marvelous book, as inclusive as it is inspiring! Drawn in by the magically life-affirming stories of her own life and the lives of clients she’s companioned, I was charmed by how effortlessly Diane Button circles from deep reflection to practical guidance and back again. Readers will finish the book no longer feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task of getting their affairs in order, but rather will find themselves supported and encouraged by an author who succeeds at parsing out the project into a list of manageable — and even enjoyable — tasks! As an end-of-life doula, I will 100% be using this book in my private practice, while recommending it to friends and community members who ask me more about how to prepare for a good death.”
— Greg Brown, Armonia Maxima, LLC;
and instructor at University of Vermont’s
End-of-Life Professional Doula Certificate Program
“Diane’s Button’s new book, Dear Death, should be on every end-of-life caregiver’s bookshelf. I’ve been in this industry for decades, and I both recognize and greatly appreciate so much of what Diane is sharing in this wonderful presentation of life and death - and finding meaning in both. Through our professional contact, I have also had the great joy of learning to know Diane as an end-of-life doula. Her wisdom, passion, and unique approach to life shines in every chapter of this book. Thank you, Diane, for your important work in our world and for sharing it through such a joyful, thoughtful look at life and death.”
— Jerrigrace Lyons, founder of Final Passages
“In writing Dear Death, seasoned death doula Diane Button has given us a deeply engaging, moving and accessible book about living and dying well, and urges each of us to explore those questions for ourselves. Using the universality of death to shake us out of our death-phobic slumber, Diane not only reminds us to consider what matters most in the face of dying; she creates practical guideposts to help us move into living with greater intention, meaning and purpose while we’re still here. Reading Dear Death, is a pleasurable and provocative experi-ence due to Diane’s ability to draw easily with great joy and humor from her own experiences and from those whom she’s accompanied in their own sacred end of life journeys, raising questions along the way which invite us to clarify our own values and choices. Dear Death is a must read for everyone asking the biggest questions about living and dying. Bravo!”
—Jeannie Blaustein, Ph.d, D. Ministry
and founding board chair of
Reimagine End of Life
“As Director of Patient and Caregiver Education at UCSF’s MERI Center, I have seen firsthand how life-changing end-of-life planning can be, and how devastating it can be if left undone. It’s important to read books like Dear Death, where we learn to normalize the conversations about our end-of-life wishes and can begin to accept that death is simply a part of life here on Earth. Diane Button’s book is an invitation to lean into those conversations, and to get to truly know yourself and what matters most…to you. Dear Death, is an inspirational wake-up call for anyone wishing to live life to its fullest, uniquely combined with the practical necessities of preparing for a truly good and peaceful death. Thank you, Diane for writing this remarkable guide to both life and death!”
— J. Redwing Keyssar, RN, author and director of
patient and caregiver education, MERI Center for
Education in Palliative Careat UCSF/Mt Zion
“I was both honored and excited to receive an advance copy of Diane Button’s new book, Dear Death. Even as a colleague who has heard many of these stories before, I couldn’t put this book down. It’s full of practical wisdom woven together by learnings gleaned from the rich bedside stories she has collected along the way. Rarely are we invited to lean in more deeply to the mystery of death in a way that feels safe yet provocative, urgent yet unhurried. Whether you’re an end-of-life practitioner, or just hoping to become more familiar with dying and death, this book will no doubt have a lasting impact on how you greet death, and more importantly, how you embrace life.”
— Sarah Hill, partner of Bay Area End-of-Life-Doula Alliance and founder of East Bay Doula for the Dying
“Dear Death, is a practical and inspirational guide for living our most meaningful and joyful life. I was fascinated by the touching personal stories of the author, Diane Button, and felt deeply moved by the lessons she shared in caring for and sitting with those who were dying. It is a tearful, joyful read that caused me to pause and reflect on my own mortality and my own best use of this precious life. I loved this book and how it shows us that facing our mortality as a friend, instead of foe, is perhaps our best reminder that life is precious and uncertain. Dear Death, is a gift that calls to us to both life and death with authenticity, intention, an open heart, courage, compassion, and a positive attitude.”
— Emily Wikman-Boorstein, founder of Inner Fitness Program
“In Dear Death, Diane Button creates a beautifully thoughtful and intricate roadmap of wisdom for understanding what it means to live a meaningful life. This book guides readers in the process of learning how to navigate, appreciate and better understand the fragility and beauty of life and death. Even as a young person, reading this book and doing the exercises have significantly impacted my life and I deeply value the insights that Diane so openly shares.
Both the book and the accompanying exercises are rich in content. Striking the perfect balance between candid, raw and comforting, Dear Death, is both thoughtful and thought provoking, encouraging readers to sit with difficult questions and emotions in order to grow in their personal and spiritual foundations. Reading this book is a deeply rewarding and healing experience. Genuine compassion and wisdom come through on every page.”
— Carmen Clarkin, MPH,
Yale School of Public Health
“Dear Death, is a MUST-READ for anyone seeking to live well and wanting to die well. It offers a clear path to a more meaningful life rooted in love, faith, kindness, and intention. It is a profoundly provocative and thoughtful read, essentially asking the question “What matters most to you?” While death may be considered a morbid topic, Diane approaches it with candor, humor, and heartache, sharing stories and lessons from her own personal life. Dear Death, is a guide and resource for everyone, easy-to-read and accessible. It is a marvelous addition to death literature and will become a staple in my work as an end-of-life doula.”
— Virginia Chang, Ph.D., founder of Till The Last,
certified end-of-life doula and University of
Vermont EOL Doula Instructor
“As I read through each page and each chapter, I had so many moments where I thought to myself, "Oh this is good... this will be a wonderful take-away for everyone who reads this book." There were so many moments like that for me. I found myself wanting more and I do not say that often. So well written, powerful, and incredibly lovely.”
— Gabrielle Elise Jimenez, hospice nurse and author of
At the Bedside: An End-of-Life Guidebook for
Clinicians, Caregivers, Volunteers, Friends and
Family Members Who Provide Comfort and
Care to Those Who Are Dying
“Dear Death, is just the tonic we need to bring sense to our purpose and perspective in these uncertain times. Diane Button has beautifully adapted her life’s work , the pursuit of how to live - and die - well into a clear voice for humanities next chapter. Her stories, her work and experience comes from a place few of us have had the courage to go. She lights the path towards understanding in a universal language that speaks to us all. A must read for all trying to make sense of why we are here and how we can make the most of the precious thing called life. Bravo.”
— Debrah Farentino, producer and
founder of Barnlight Productions
“Whether you're supporting a loved one on their end-of-life journey, interested in working as an end-of-life doula, or simply want to live a more purposeful life, Diane R. Button's book, Dear Death, is a great place to start. Full of practical and touching lessons from those nearing death, Button provides helpful guideposts for folks who are navigating an impending loss, including an invaluable “Doula’s Final Checklist” of six questions to ask our loved ones, our end-of-life doula clients, or ourselves to foster a peaceful transition.”
— Mazdak Mazarei, graduate of University of Vermont
Larner College of Medicine End-of-Life Doula
Professional Certificate Program
“Dear Death, is unique among the vast array of books out there on dying and how to live in the shadow of death. As I read Diane’s wondrous book, I kept finding myself connecting more to how it applies to me and my own life, rather than ‘how to help my clients’. It serves as a recipe book, filled with yummy food for thought on reflecting upon our lives, as well as with touching stories that tug at your heart with their resonant truth-telling. A must-read addition to anyone’s library.”
— Lori K. Goldwyn, partner and end-of-life doula
at Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance
“This book should be a daily reminder of what is truly important in life and how to live your life well every day. It’s profoundly thoughtful and is filled with wonderful anecdotal stories from people sharing what was important at the end of their lives. This book took me on a guided journey on how to live a meaning life and to greet death with acceptance and help from an end-of-life doula.
I had never heard of an end-of-life doula before. Now I can’t imagine dying without one.”
— Regina A. Casadei, retired cytologist and research
scientist at LAC-USC Medical School
