This page provides information on publications such as Five Last Acts series, Exit Newsletter, and other publications connected with Exit. Whether for private reassurance or for academic research, the choice of books on such a subject is important.
If buying a book, this page is to help you decide.
Things people have written about the Five Last Acts series in reviews . . .
“a wonderful life enhancer” Eoin Murphy
“Thoroughly absorbing! . . . I completely recommend this engrossing book which makes for an easy read, whilst leaving you fully informed.” PJ Goodwin
“This book was exactly what it was advertised to be: very thorough and well-written.” Annette Kronstadt
“I wish there was a higher rating option than 5 stars. . . . I would send Chris Docker an extra $20 to have dinner on me just for doing the work if he listed his paypal.” Pauls Law
“A true God send.” “Outstanding in its clarity and calm insight.” “More informative than all of google put together.” “This is a very detailed guide to the methods of terminating ones own life should conditions become intolerable. It guides the reader through the decision making process and includes reminders of the effects on relatives and friends of a sudden death and clarifies the legal position regarding assistance.” “Knowing that when ones time comes (as inevitably it must) the gift of a painfree dignified exit can be put in place makes going into the future far less worrying to contemplate” . . . “Sensitive and balanced.” . . . “This actually makes it easier to keep going if you choose to, as it provides a peace of mind.” . . . “The best book there is on this subject.” . . . “Very thorough and well-written.” . . . “An enlightening book.” . . . “The most comprehensive guide to self-deliverance techniques available.”
(note: some savings are available on older editions from some branches of Amazon)
Links for ordering :
Five Last Acts II (2013 edition): U.K. U.S.
Canada Germany Spain France Italy Japan India China
Five Last Acts: The Exit Path (2010 edition): U.K. U.S. Canada Germany Spain France Italy Japan India. 2015 edition (U.S.A.)
Note: to get the newest edition of Five Last Acts II, with small amendments made in 2015, use the above links but replace 1453869379 in the URL with 1511988509.
If you wish to explore ideas and books on self-deliverance, these things can sometimes give you the confidence and the courage to face what may be an unknown future. You need to select wisely. Of course, you may never use the key to that door marked ‘Exit.’ You may never need to. But, like an insurance policy in case things go wrong, it is good to know it is there. (Please note there are no e-downloads on this website.)
Many of us leave things too late, or become distracted and entertain unrealistic ideas about dying. I’ve added the notes on this page about some books that might help you contemplate, hopefully while in good health, those end-of-life options. There are no quick answers – but these books can help you answer many very difficult emotional, legal and medical questions, help you with knowledge, documents and personal relations, but most of all they look at taboo areas that you will not find dealt with in such depth elsewhere.
My hope is that you, the person reading this, will enjoy a good life, the life that you want, a life fulfilled and in harmony with the world and those around you that you love; and also that you can find, in one of the most important acts of life, the final end that each of us faces is. So that, for you, death is in a manner and at a time of your own choosing.
Five Last Acts: The Exit Path
2015
2013
Five Last Acts: The Exit Path. 752 pages, 100 illustrations and ‘how-to’ diagrams. Over 1000 references. 7 tables. Tips and checklists.
This mammoth volume has been described as the ‘big daddy’ version of Five Last Acts II . Out now and available in most countries, for instance, through: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Or order from good bookshops.
Stop press: A new version, a major 2015 update, has just been released. To be one of the first people to get a copy, you can buy one from this link now.
Please note Five Last Acts: The Exit Path is a considerably larger volume than Five Last Acts II. At over 750 pages (822 in the new 2015 edition) Five Last Acts The Exit Path is a mammoth reference volume on the subject. Buy it if you are looking for a thorough textbook with extensive up-to-date analysis of self-deliverance methods and approaches you can preview the very extensive list of contents for Five Last Acts: The Exit Path below (please click to enlarge).
2013 edition
For the 2015 edition, please consider the contents by means of the links below:
2015 edition
Helium has been the most popular means of self-deliverance among members of ‘right-to-die‘ societies; yet still there are last minute failures, botched attempts or panics. The Exit Path puts the method under a microscope, showing the variations and how to eliminate failures. With over 100 pages of information on rational suicide by means of helium/inert gas alone, including extensive photographs and step-by-step directions and diagrams, The Exit Path gives you control, and offers the opportunity to make failure almost impossible. The 2015 edition includes extensive and detailed information on using the more reliable nitrogen as an alternative to helium.
With problems over dwindling helium supplies, carotid artery compression is the fast-growing field of interest in self-deliverance. With brand-new commissioned material and an in-depth examination of the objections and concerns, The Exit Path provides instructions that place carotid compression firmly in the repertoire. The 2015 edition includes news of the latest research and case studies. (Please note that the prominent Dutch critic of this method withdrew his objections after studying our material.)
The use of drugs in self-deliverance has long been an area of debate, but any use of drugs should include anti-emetics to prevent vomiting. The Exit Path examines metadata on the properties of anti-emetics to help you choose the best solutions.
Sleeping tablets and their variants are a source of fascination for persons contemplating self-deliverance. For the first time, The Exit Path examines the differences in the action of various sleeping drugs, what to use, and how.
Fasting to death continues to haunt the right-to-die movement with apologists recommending it as a near-perfect way and critics unsure. Horrific deaths have resulted from premature recommendation by well-meaning individuals, even among those aware of the dangers and how to avoid them. The Exit Path has 50 pages of analysis to examine the differences between fasting in hospital with medical support and fasting at home. The Exit Path provides exclusive guidance based on metadata and interviews with the best expertise worldwide.
Every week someone comes up with what they believe is a ‘new’ method but the data is often oversimplified on Internet forums. the Exit Path takes a long hard look at ‘fringe methods’ including jumping, drowning, guns, hydrogen sulphide and charcoal burners. The 2015 edition also has an expanded section looking at the facts on firearms.
Knowing how to ensure a peaceful death is only half the dilemma. We all face the prospect of “all this” coming to an end. For the first time in a self-deliverance manual, The Exit Path provides practical approaches based on proven techniques. Ways to come approach the end of life peacefully whether by natural causes or one’s own hand. The Dignitas alternative is discussed in a new light The 2015 edition even considers the unthinkable, how to prepare for the possibility of dementia.
Exit’s unique full-day ‘hands-on’ workshops have garnered international interest. Now, for the first time, the inside story on how to facilitate dress-rehearsals in a group setting is laid bare. In The Exit Path, you will see the thinking behind the methods and how they receive such acclaim. You will feel part of the workshop or, if you run a right-to-die society, see how your group could organise and make use of the hands-on approach.
Unlike many ‘how-to’ guides, The Exit Path backs up all its guidance with verifiable data. With more than 1000 references in over 800 pages, it is the most reliable and detailed manual published in the world to date, valued by research bodies and private individuals.
The Exit Path is split into three sections. After an extensive introduction covering legal and moral dilemmas that can arise at the last minute (and how to cope with them), The Exit Path has a main section showing you the safe and effective techniques to ensure a peaceful death in the face of unbearable and unrelievable suffering. Section Two explores the methods in greater depth; and Section Three provides you with extra resources for you to use, including pages to cut out or photocopy.
The structure of The Exit Path shows you how to get to grips with self-deliverance techniques in a brand new way. Each chapter includes an ‘in a nutshell’ overview. Then it takes you through different levels of detail until all your questions are answered. Finally the Section Two chapters allow you to probe the science behind the methods in a way never covered in such detail before.
Some people use a self-deliverance manual to draw their lives to a close when all other options have proved futile. Others simply look for the courage to face an unknown future: – by knowing they can ‘pull the plug.’ The Exit Path takes you through every stage – the planning, dealing with your doctor, your family, and provides handy checklists to let you stay on top of the many dilemmas that arise as life approaches its end.
The Exit Path includes hundreds of pages of previously unpublished or undisclosed material. Out now on Amazon.
2015
2010
Five Last Acts II expanded & revised
Five Last Acts II – expanded & revised – is the recommended handbook for people who find the longer, textbook treatment in The Exit Path a little more than they need, espcially to begin with. At 414 pages, it is still a book that goes into each method at greater length than anything outside of the Five Last Acts series, yet it is far more manageable to carry around. The World Right-to-Die publication hailed it as, “the most comprehensive guide to self-deliverance techniques available.” The modern standard on self-deliverance, it can be ordered direct from Amazon or all good bookshops.
Five Last Acts (2007)
A book that rapidly became a best seller for Exit, it was only available to members of the Society. (186 pages).
Five Last Acts collected the wisdom of research from around the world and presented it in an easy-to-follow format, making it readily accessible to any intelligent reader that wanted the confidence of being in control during their final moments. Unlike other attempts at explaining things like helium and terminal fasting, the findings are backed up with hard science, referencing its assertions to the knowledge in respected medical and scientific journals with full citations that the reader can check for him or herself.
Exit Newsletter 1980 – present
Exit Newsletter is an occasional journal featuring writings by leading authors on self-deliverance and the ‘right-to-die.’ It combines cutting-edge discussion by experts and a selection of lighter reading on the subject. It is one of the few periodicals worldwide to critically examine methods of self-deliverance. Previous contributors have included many leaders of the medical and legal professions, and leading philosophers whose names you might recognise:
Peter Singer, Helga Kuhse, Colin Brewer, Faye Girsh, Joseph Thomson, Sheila Mclean, Michael Irwin, Derek Humphry, Arthur Caplan, Kenneth Boyd, Kenyon Mason, Ludovic Kennedy, Rev. A Bennett, Alexander McCall-Smith, John Beloff, (Bishop) Michael Hare-Duke, Oswald Hanfling, Wendy Savage, (Bishop) Alastair Haggart, Richard Nicholson, Philip Nitschke, Janet Radcliffe-Richards, Robin Downie, and many more.
The Exit Newsletter is a free journal sent to members of Exit. To learn more about Exit or to consider supporting us and joining as a member, please go to our main site here. You will find a link on the left to an application form to print and post. You must be at least over 18 and enclose proof of age and identity (the data is kept private but we do not accept anonymous members of those without a permanent address). Exit reserves the right to refuse membership. All applications are subject to a minimum 12 week processing period
Other self-deliverance books from Exit:
(nb these earlier works are now out of print)
Beyond Final Exit 1995
Departing Drugs 1993
How to Die With Dignity 1980
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Our books Five Last Acts and The Exit Path are extremely detailed with a wealth of scientific data. They are substantial volumes that take much time, energy and research to produce, and are competitively priced for such books. If you want a smaller, inexpensive overview, we suggest the well-established Final Exit by Campaigner Derek Humphry.
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Some books by friends and other organisations we like . . .
The EXIT euthanasia blog 