Lisa Belkin

Author meets Dr. Tarlov and learns of his role in the crime--recommending the prisoner for parole. She traces the backgrounds of four families: the Tarlovs, the Consentinos, the Troys and the DeSalvos. How did one family bring forth the public spirited doctor, another the woman destined to be a police widow, a third the young police officer and the fourth the killer. The story of Leopold and Loeb, the notorious thrill killers of the 1920s is also involved as they served time in the Illinois prison system that also imprisoned Joseph DeSalvo. Interesting but a little too detailed.… (altro)

This is a factual account of a hospital ethics committee at Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. It was organized in 1983 and was the first of its kind. It presents histories of patients who are terminally ill and the events that lead up to these cases being presented to the doctors, nurses, lawyers, social workers, financial analysts, administrators who make up the committee. . It also presents the views of the patients and their families, all of whom have a part in the decision to continue to treat or to allow support to be withdrawn. I feel it represented both sides of all issues: The patient who wants to die and the patient who wants to keep fighting. The families who are present and supportive and the families who avoid helpful involvement. Most interesting to me was the behind-the-scenes story of the clinical staff who have differing opinions yet work together for the sake of the patients.… (altro)