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On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss Paperback – August 12, 2014
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Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s On Death and Dying changed the way we talk about the end of life. Before her own death in 2004, she and David Kessler completed On Grief and Grieving, which looks at the way we experience the process of grief.
Just as On Death and Dying taught us the five stages of death—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the grieving process and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, including sections on sadness, hauntings, dreams, isolation, and healing. This is “a fitting finale and tribute to the acknowledged expert on end-of-life matters” (Good Housekeeping).
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateAugust 12, 2014
- Dimensions0.8 x 5.47 x 8.35 inches
- ISBN-101476775559
- ISBN-13978-1476775555
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Editorial Reviews
Review
--Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing
"Elisabeth Kübler-Ross left us one last gift, and it's a masterpiece. Having illumined the subject of death, she has now illumined the subject of grief. She and grief expert David Kessler have written a modern classic, the kind of book that all of us will want to keep on our bookshelves because we know it speaks to our deepest hearts."
--Marianne Williamson, author of A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution
About the Author
David Kessler is the coauthor of Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death and Dying Teach Us About the Mysteries of Life and Living. On his own, he is the author of The Needs of the Dying, which received praise from Mother Teresa and has been translated into eleven languages. He is a nationally recognized leader in the field of hospice and palliative care.
Product details
- Publisher : Scribner; Reprint edition (August 12, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1476775559
- ISBN-13 : 978-1476775555
- Item Weight : 8 ounces
- Dimensions : 0.8 x 5.47 x 8.35 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Death
- #33 in Grief & Bereavement
- #38 in Love & Loss
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross earned a place as the best-loved and most-respected authority on the subjects of death and dying. Through her twenty-three books, as well as her key role in starting the hospice movement and years working with terminally ill children, AIDS patients, and the elderly, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross brought comfort and understanding to millions coping with their own deaths or the death of a loved one. Dr. Kubler-Ross, whose books have been translated into forty-four (44) languages, passed away in 2004 at the age of seventy-eight. Before her death, she and David Kessler completed work on their second collaboration, On Grief and Grieving. The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation continues her work in: hospice, palliative care, and grief around the world. See www.EKRFoundation.org for more information.
David Kessler is the world’s foremost expert on grief. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He coauthored On Grief and Grieving and Life Lessons with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce or Death with Louise Hay. He is the author of Finding Meaning; Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms; and The Needs of the Dying, praised by Mother Teresa.
David’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Business Week, and Life Magazine, and on CNN, Fox, NBC, PBS, and CBS. David has served on the Red Cross Aviation Disaster Team and has volunteered for decades as a Los Angeles Police Department Specialist Reserve Officer. He lectures for physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders and leads talks and retreats for those dealing with grief.
In addition, David worked with the late actors Anthony Perkins and Michael Landon. The founder of the cancer support group The Bogeyman in the Closet, he lectures on living life fully in the face of cancer.
A frequent guest on The Dr. Oz Show, David has also appeared on CNN, NBC, PBS, Fox, and Entertainment Tonight. He has written for The Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle, Anderson Cooper 360°, and Oprah.com. David has volunteered with the Red Cross, and he also serves on the board of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. For more information on David and live events, please visit www.Grief.com
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book invaluable for understanding grief, particularly noting how it helps them navigate their emotional rollercoaster. The book is beautifully written with sensitivity and provides practical advice throughout. Moreover, they appreciate how it explains the stages of grief in depth, and one customer mentions it touches on every aspect of life. Additionally, customers value it as a thoughtful gift for grieving friends.
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Customers find the book helpful for understanding grief, particularly noting how it explains the grieving process and emotional rollercoaster.
"...It won't solve your problems but you get a better understanding about the grieving process, and what to possibly expect in the time to come...." Read more
"This book was notable for several reasons. First, it presents grieving over loss as a normal, therapeutic process...." Read more
"What a simple, normalizing and compassionate book on grief. This covers so many circumstances and provides so much empathy...." Read more
"...First one for me and the other two for friends! A really helpful book to navigate grief. I am reading it again after more than a year of my mom lost...." Read more
Customers find the book interesting and well-written, with one customer noting it's particularly helpful as a first read after experiencing loss.
"...them have told me they were very appreciative of the gesture and loved the book. I do recommend." Read more
"This is one of the best books I have read so far in my grief journey, it is honest and really resonates with my experience with the loss of my..." Read more
"...She has been able to make sense of her thoughts and emotions. Excellent book." Read more
"This book is fabulous for folks who are grieving the loss of a person or frankly, anything...." Read more
Customers find the book very helpful, providing practical advice and great wisdom. One customer mentions it serves as an amazing resource to embrace the new reality.
"This book was notable for several reasons. First, it presents grieving over loss as a normal, therapeutic process...." Read more
"...It has helped tremendously. I recommend highly for someone who needs some help understanding the grieving process...." Read more
"...This covers so many circumstances and provides so much empathy...." Read more
"...I am reading it again after more than a year of my mom lost. Love all the wisdom and guidance this books gives, and how much is helping to..." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully written with sensitivity and easy to read, with one customer noting it speaks from the heart.
"...It was an easy read, and I learned about the 5 stages of grief, and it really did help me along the way in dealing with grief...." Read more
"...It is its compassionate voice, though, that I think sets this book apart...." Read more
"...She has been able to make sense of her thoughts and emotions. Excellent book." Read more
"What a simple, normalizing and compassionate book on grief. This covers so many circumstances and provides so much empathy...." Read more
Customers find the book enlightening, with one review noting how it touches on every aspect of life, while another mentions how it provides positive perspectives on existence.
"...have read so far in my grief journey, it is honest and really resonates with my experience with the loss of my husband." Read more
"...It is sensitive and enlightening." Read more
"...It was refreshing to read that the depth of the loss of my loved ones was normal, healthy, and even healing...." Read more
"...also use personal stories of their own grief and this adds a sense of realism to the book as well as serving as examples of different types of grief...." Read more
Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, which provides in-depth explanations of the stages of grief and offers practical, step-by-step guidance through the process.
"...The chapter layout is perfect--very specific, so you are not just reading generalized broad stroke scenarios...." Read more
"...I especially liked that the book went beyond the five stages and talked about other emotions and situations a person may experience..." Read more
"...This book explains in depth all of the stages and typical feelings/thoughts we have when we lose someone close...." Read more
"This was a moving book. We lost our son recently and were experiencing many of the symptoms of grieving described in this book...." Read more
Customers find the book to be a thoughtful gift for grieving friends.
"...This would make a thoughtful gift for a grieving friend too." Read more
"BEST book on grieving! Great for self-use or to give to a friend - or read if a friend or loved one is going through grief...." Read more
"...A great book and great gift! Thanks! Kelli Ling" Read more
"...Would be a great gift for anyone who loses a loved one." Read more
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How to Cope with Loss
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2024I was given a copy of this book by a coworker a few years ago when my mother passed away. She said it was given to her by a friend when her father had passed and it helped her. It was an easy read, and I learned about the 5 stages of grief, and it really did help me along the way in dealing with grief. It won't solve your problems but you get a better understanding about the grieving process, and what to possibly expect in the time to come. But the bottom line is grief moves in waves. I've been so happy with it I have purchased at least 10 of these over the past few years and given them as gifts to those I have met or known that have recently experienced loss and may have trouble dealing with grief. Several of them have told me they were very appreciative of the gesture and loved the book. I do recommend.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025This is one of the best books I have read so far in my grief journey, it is honest and really resonates with my experience with the loss of my husband.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2025I have bought multiple for new members of my grief group. Love it. If you’d be willing to donate a few, I’m sure these sales would make crease as others recommend to others.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2007This book was notable for several reasons. First, it presents grieving over loss as a normal, therapeutic process. It covers a wide range of possible occasions of loss from the loss of an ideal to the more recognizeable losses such as the death of a loved one. The authors acquaint the reader with the phenomenon they term "anticipatory grief," the feelings that emerge when one is dealing with losses that will occur due to the lengthy process of a terminal illness, a phenomenon Kubler-Ross also went through herself. It is its compassionate voice, though, that I think sets this book apart. Clearly, the authors have a lot of experience counseling others through bereavement, and they honor their contributors as well as the insights their contributors have shared with them. I recommend this book to anyone who has experienced loss or knows a friend in this situation. It is sensitive and enlightening.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2024My stepdad died a few months ago from Covid. He and my mother married in 1977. My mother was lost and just not understanding what she was going through. As a Nurse I’ve seen it all. I knew this book would help her make sense of her feelings and what she was experiencing. It has helped tremendously. I recommend highly for someone who needs some help understanding the grieving process. She had never heard of the 5 stages of grief before. She has been able to make sense of her thoughts and emotions. Excellent book.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2024What a simple, normalizing and compassionate book on grief. This covers so many circumstances and provides so much empathy. Almost everything I have personally experienced with death-this book covered in some way, shape, or form, and normalized it. It’s like its own little shoulder to lean on to help you realize you are not alone. Certainly recommend if there is grief that needs to be processed
- Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024This book is fabulous for folks who are grieving the loss of a person or frankly, anything. I bought several copies to have on hand to give to friends suffering loss.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024This is the 3rd copy I bought. First one for me and the other two for friends! A really helpful book to navigate grief. I am reading it again after more than a year of my mom lost. Love all the wisdom and guidance this books gives, and how much is helping to understand and be able to keep caring for myself. Losing a parent is something that changes us and shape us forever. As long as we are open to do the process of grief. The younger we are the more will impact our life. May all of us be happy, peaceful and free from all our suffering.
Top reviews from other countries
- ADReviewed in Canada on February 19, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read for Anyone in a State of Grief
I bought this book almost 20 years ago when my favourite brother died. I have since been giving it as a gift to friends who are experiencing grief. The book explains the process of grieving, what to expect and how to manage emotions and other.
- RosaReviewed in Germany on February 15, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of lessons on grieving
Great so you can understand different types of grieving
RosaLots of lessons on grieving
Reviewed in Germany on February 15, 2023
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- MJSReviewed in Spain on June 30, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Thorough explanations and examples regarding the process of mourning are given in this book. I found it to be a great help after having lost a loved one. Highly recommended.
- bandtReviewed in France on February 1, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Really useful
I found solace and comfort in this book which takes almost every situation into account. I cried while reading it - it helped a lot. Many thanks. If you need help in your time of need , this is your book. Highly recommended.
- Pete RalphReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Easily read, sound advice
Possibly a reference book for those coping with death of a loved one.