Conversations on Dying is a compelling read, and not just for those who knew of Larry Librach. I didn’t know of him before the book. I bought the book because I know Phil Dwyer; I read the book because I have a particular interest in what the book is about, being a community-care registered nurse who works with chronically ill and disabled members of the population. I’m in a unique position because of the nature of my job, being able to see how some of our healthcare dollars are distributed to care for people who are not in hospitals. A lot of it doesn’t make much sense—cutting here to save a couple dollars, only to have to spend several times that amount later on. The disconnect between acute and chronic becomes pretty apparent when you’re there, working with families out in the community. There’s been a move to deinstitutionalize patients because it costs less than having them in hospitals, and because it’s better for the patients. But at the same time, the supports aren’t necessarily there—for certain members of our population, they’re not really there at all. When impending death is added to the mix, it brings along whole new layers of issues. It takes strong, educated, and fearless people to advocate for those who are sick and dying. The issues have to be examined through many lenses: personal, physiological, psychosocial, political, historical, social, just to name a few. Larry (unfortunately) ended up in the perfect position to articulate the troubles with healthcare in terms of chronic and palliative care, adding impact to his ideas and observations by not only having the professional experience behind him, but also now possessing the personal insight of a patient. If you want to see the bigger picture, then read the book. It’s so clear when it’s coming out of Larry’s mouth. Everyone deserves to die with dignity, and to die on their own terms, but most don’t get that.I really appreciated the structure of the book. Phil is an amazing writer, and every moment chronicled—from the final days of his cancer-stricken brother, to the recounting of his heart attack, to Larry’s declining health that never seemed to affect the strength of his message—is rich with detail and reads effortlessly. It's such an accessible read, especially because of the way conversations unfold between Larry and Phil during interviews, that no one should be hesitant to pick this up for fear of not being well-versed in technical medical things to understand. I think it’s an important read for everyone—if only for the reason that dying is the one experience we all share—but in particular, I think it’s vital for us in healthcare to be reminded of our roles as patient-advocates.