ScienceIsScary
Tim of Suicide and Recovery
- Feb 15, 2020
- 18
Introduction
I originally posted this book review on my website. Since my website isn't well indexed by Google, and I need it indexed for a search engine project I'm working on, I'm re-posting it here. I want to do one of these reviews for each of the major suicide manuals.
Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 edition): The arts and science of rational suicide in the face of unbearable, unrelievable suffering is one of the standard readings for anyone interested in suicide methods. Written by Chris Docker, who also wrote Departing Drugs, the book feels like a rare gem among suicide manuals. Unlike similar books, this one includes numerous inline citations.
Author background
Chris Docker has a Master's degree in philosophy, law and ethics ("Amazon.com"). Within a UK organization called EXIT SCOTLAND (not to be confused with Dr. Nitschke's Exit International), he has served as a researcher and the director ("Amazon.com"). EXIT has been a small research arm of the right-to-die movement (Docker 600) formed with the intention of providing reliable information on suicide methods (Docker 604). As part of his work with EXIT, Chris has also given hands-on workshops on methods such as the helium hood (Docker 693).
Suicide methods included
Five Last Acts discusses both drug and non-drug methods, including:
Docker's writing has several strengths.
At the time of its writing, Five Last Acts was one of two major suicide books to describe compression methods (Docker 600). That fact makes it useful as a reference for people researching strangulation methods, such as the Sanctioned Suicide forum's night-night method.
Docker's presentation of the major suicide methods included in the book is well thought out. He uses fictional stories of attempts and drawings to explain the major methods. A shopping list also lies at the end of each section. Docker's practical experience shines through with suggestions on alterations and additions to the methods. For example, he discusses using a Swedish tap turner to help turn on and off the gas tanks for the inert gas method (Docker 133).
Five Last Acts emphasizes practicing methods so that one is ready if the need to use them arises. To that end, it includes suggestions on how to practice safely. As an example, compression with a ratchet tie-down can be practiced safely on one's leg instead of on the neck (Docker 246).
Docker also describes some of the problems with certain methods and how to work around them. For example, he points out that the plastic bag with non-lethal drugs method is not foolproof (Docker 315). He then goes on to suggest failures were due to people using a too small or porous bag (Docker 313).
Two appendices are particularly appealing to anyone interested in more than just methods. One appendix discusses the history of other suicide manuals, going back to the 1980s (Docker 585). Another appendix works through the ethics of releasing the book (Docker 616).
Weaknesses
Two weaknesses are apparent after reading the book.
The book hasn't been updated since 2015, so it's missing recent developments like the sodium nitrite (SN) method. Unlike The Peaceful Pill eHandbook, Five Last Acts appears to be only a print book with infrequent updates.
Five Last Acts includes brief discussions on the risks of failure with methods. For example, Docker mentions in passing the risk of brain damage if compression is interrupted (Docker 256). A longer discussion on the worst-case risks of each method would have been appreciated.
Conclusion
Five Last Acts is a gem of a book for anyone interested in suicide methods, especially helium and strangulation. Its less frequent updates make it hard to recommend over the e-book version of the Peaceful Pill Handbook. As a companion book and list of references, it is excellent.
Works Cited
"Amazon.Com: Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 Edition): The Arts and Science of Rational Suicide in the Face of Unbearable, Unrelievable Suffering (9781512176445): Docker, Chris: Books" Amazon.
Docker, Chris. Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 Edition): The Arts and Science of Rational Suicide in the Face of Unbearable, Unrelievable Suffering. 2nd edition, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015.
I originally posted this book review on my website. Since my website isn't well indexed by Google, and I need it indexed for a search engine project I'm working on, I'm re-posting it here. I want to do one of these reviews for each of the major suicide manuals.
Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 edition): The arts and science of rational suicide in the face of unbearable, unrelievable suffering is one of the standard readings for anyone interested in suicide methods. Written by Chris Docker, who also wrote Departing Drugs, the book feels like a rare gem among suicide manuals. Unlike similar books, this one includes numerous inline citations.
Author background
Chris Docker has a Master's degree in philosophy, law and ethics ("Amazon.com"). Within a UK organization called EXIT SCOTLAND (not to be confused with Dr. Nitschke's Exit International), he has served as a researcher and the director ("Amazon.com"). EXIT has been a small research arm of the right-to-die movement (Docker 600) formed with the intention of providing reliable information on suicide methods (Docker 604). As part of his work with EXIT, Chris has also given hands-on workshops on methods such as the helium hood (Docker 693).
Suicide methods included
Five Last Acts discusses both drug and non-drug methods, including:
- Inert gas, exit bag, exit hood or Gladd bag with Helium and Nitrogen
- Ligature compression, strangulation or night-night method with variations:
- Tourniquet
- Continuous looping
- Ratchet tie down
- Partial suspension
- Non-lethal drugs:
- Anti-emetic or anti-nausea drugs
- Sleeping pills
- Plastic bag with non-lethal drugs
- Lethal drugs
- Barbiturates, such as pentobarbital (N / Nembutal), quinalbarbital/secobarbital (Seconal), barbital (Veronal), phenobarbital (Luminal, Gardenal), butobarbital (Soneryl, Butisol), secbutobarbital, mephobarbital (Mebaral), amylobarbital (Amytal)
- Chloroquine
- Orphenadrine
- Propoxyphene (and Dextropropoxyphene)
- Tricyclic antidepressants (including amitriptyline)
- Terminal fasting, dehydration or voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED).
- Firearms or guns
- Jumping
- Drowning
- Hanging
- Hypothermia
- Wrist cutting
- Poisonous plants (such as hemlock)
- Carbon monoxide (CO), charcoal and car exhaust
- Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
- Cyanide
Docker's writing has several strengths.
At the time of its writing, Five Last Acts was one of two major suicide books to describe compression methods (Docker 600). That fact makes it useful as a reference for people researching strangulation methods, such as the Sanctioned Suicide forum's night-night method.
Docker's presentation of the major suicide methods included in the book is well thought out. He uses fictional stories of attempts and drawings to explain the major methods. A shopping list also lies at the end of each section. Docker's practical experience shines through with suggestions on alterations and additions to the methods. For example, he discusses using a Swedish tap turner to help turn on and off the gas tanks for the inert gas method (Docker 133).
Five Last Acts emphasizes practicing methods so that one is ready if the need to use them arises. To that end, it includes suggestions on how to practice safely. As an example, compression with a ratchet tie-down can be practiced safely on one's leg instead of on the neck (Docker 246).
Docker also describes some of the problems with certain methods and how to work around them. For example, he points out that the plastic bag with non-lethal drugs method is not foolproof (Docker 315). He then goes on to suggest failures were due to people using a too small or porous bag (Docker 313).
Two appendices are particularly appealing to anyone interested in more than just methods. One appendix discusses the history of other suicide manuals, going back to the 1980s (Docker 585). Another appendix works through the ethics of releasing the book (Docker 616).
Weaknesses
Two weaknesses are apparent after reading the book.
The book hasn't been updated since 2015, so it's missing recent developments like the sodium nitrite (SN) method. Unlike The Peaceful Pill eHandbook, Five Last Acts appears to be only a print book with infrequent updates.
Five Last Acts includes brief discussions on the risks of failure with methods. For example, Docker mentions in passing the risk of brain damage if compression is interrupted (Docker 256). A longer discussion on the worst-case risks of each method would have been appreciated.
Conclusion
Five Last Acts is a gem of a book for anyone interested in suicide methods, especially helium and strangulation. Its less frequent updates make it hard to recommend over the e-book version of the Peaceful Pill Handbook. As a companion book and list of references, it is excellent.
Works Cited
"Amazon.Com: Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 Edition): The Arts and Science of Rational Suicide in the Face of Unbearable, Unrelievable Suffering (9781512176445): Docker, Chris: Books" Amazon.
Docker, Chris. Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 Edition): The Arts and Science of Rational Suicide in the Face of Unbearable, Unrelievable Suffering. 2nd edition, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015.
