In order to clarify the meaning of death, the author introduces four representative works. The first is On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. In this book she describes the five stages through which terminally ill patients pass: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This is still the classic formulation.
為了說明死亡的意義，作者依序介紹四本代表作，首先是羅斯醫師的《論死亡與臨終》，其中所述末期患者的五階段（否認及孤離、憤怒、討價還價、消沉抑鬱、接受）至今仍為典型分類法。