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Do Not Go Gentle
- Author
- Kathleen Stock
- Narrator
- Kathleen Stock
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date
- 2 April 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 7 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 4.0 (1 review)
What to expect
"Do Not Go Gentle is a bracing, often chilling wrestle with the ethical dilemmas surrounding the assisted death service - a deeply unsettling read, clear and powerful. Kathleen Stock remains fearless, endless, thought provoking and always entertaining." Nick Cave
"Characteristically sharp, clever and vital," Jane O'Grady, The Daily Telegraph
"Admirably clear and cogent... this is a polemic, but a polite one." Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian
Is there a right to die?
Is assisted death really compassionate?
Are we sleepwalking into a moral disaster?
In Do Not Go Gentle, acclaimed writer and philosopher Kathleen Stock tackles one of the great debates of our time: should we set up a system of assisted death? With her trademark sharp thinking and dry wit, the bestselling author of Material Girls argues that despite what some progressives might tell you, assisted death will not give a person more "freedom" or "control" over their lives. Whether you have a terminal illness, are in chronic pain, or are disabled, being able to ask your doctor to kill you fundamentally changes society's attitude towards the vulnerable - and in a sinister direction.
Life is complex. For some individuals, an assisted death might be the right choice. But we should be deeply wary of introducing a system that offers death as just another option, especially when palliative care is so under-resourced. Expertly marshalling the arguments, Stock's laser polemic cuts through the wishful thinking and clouded reasoning that surrounds the issue and reaffirms life, rather than death, as what we should be fighting for. Collectively, we should rage against the dying of the light.
Critics Review
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In Do Not Go Gentle, Kathleen Stock advances the philosophical and empirical case against an assisted death service with her characteristic incisiveness, lucidity, and humour.... a must-read, regardless of your starting position in this debate
Sonia Sodha
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This is a deeply thoughtful book, scholarly while being highly accessible, and an antidote to the superficial - and often misleading - soundbites propagated by campaigning groups
Professor Katherine Sleeman, King’s College London
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A clear, careful, evidence-based case for caution around the legalisation of assisted dying. It deserves wide attention, whichever side of the debate you find yourself on
Rowan Williams
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With characteristic clarity and calm, Kathleen Stock has cut through the fetish of choice and revealed the meaning of 'assisted dying.' We should all be grateful. Long live Kathleen Stock
Lord Glasman, author of Blue Labour: Politics and the Common Good
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A timely analysis of a vital topic
Jesse Norman MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
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Kathleen Stock does not beat about the bush: you cannot choose to die, only choose to let others bear the burden of killing you, or try to kill yourself... Whatever side you are on in this debate, this is the one book on the topic that you should read
John Milbank, Emeritus Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Nottingham
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With characteristic clarity, Kathleen Stock dissects the starry-eyed case for legalising assisted suicide, and warns against the socially corrosive realities of its institutionalisation. She adds a fresh voice to a well-rehearsed public controversy
Lord Nigel Biggar, CBE, Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and former member of the ethics committee of the Royal College of Physicians
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In her usual calm and witty style, Kathleen Stock establishes a compelling case against assisted suicide, demonstrating how neither freedom nor mercy should be used to justify a state sponsored death service. Stock has an extraordinary gift for bringing clarity and simplicity to complex moral and philosophical questions. Do Not Go Gentle promises to be a crucial intervention in the end of life debate
Miriam Cates
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What an extraordinary and brilliant book. I found it absolutely riveting and a must-read for anyone interested not only in this specific debate but what it is to be a human being in a world pulverised by shrill argument and disruption
Matthew D'Ancona
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[A] careful philosophical analysis and forensic scrutiny of evidence
The Tablet
-
An admirably clear and cogent book
Guardian
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A bracing, often chilling wrestle with the ethical dilemmas surrounding the assisted death service - a deeply unsettling read, clear and powerful. Kathleen Stock remains fearless, endlessly thought-provoking and always entertaining
Nick Cave
-
Animated by challenging moral puzzles, fascinating thought experiments and enlightening empirical research, the book succeeds in reframing this perennial debate.
Ferdia Roche, Irish Times
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Excellent... the book is well researched, thoughtful, and very well written.
Audrey Pollnow, First Things
User Reviews
Book 4.0
Narration 5.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Kathleen Stock
- Narrator
- Kathleen Stock
- Duration
- 8 hours 7 minutes
- Release Date
- 2 April 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405566179
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Genre
- Philosophy, Sociology: death and dying, Religion and politics
- Rating
- 4.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
A TELEGRAPH SUMMER READ OF 2026"Do Not Go Gentle is a bracing, often chilling wrestle with the ethical dilemmas surrounding the assisted death service - a deeply unsettling read, clear and powerful. Kathleen Stock remains fearless, endless, thought provoking and always entertaining." Nick Cave"Characteristically sharp, clever and vital," Jane O'Grady, The Daily Telegraph"Admirably clear and cogent... this is a polemic, but a polite one." Kathryn Hughes, The GuardianIs there a right to die?Is assisted death really compassionate?Are we sleepwalking into a moral disaster?In Do Not Go Gentle, acclaimed writer and philosopher Kathleen Stock tackles one of the great debates of our time: should we set up a system of assisted death? With her trademark sharp thinking and dry wit, the bestselling author of Material Girls argues that despite what some progressives might tell you, assisted death will not give a person more "freedom" or "control" over their lives. Whether you have a terminal illness, are in chronic pain, or are disabled, being able to ask your doctor to kill you fundamentally changes society's attitude towards the vulnerable - and in a sinister direction.Life is complex. For some individuals, an assisted death might be the right choice. But we should be deeply wary of introducing a system that offers death as just another option, especially when palliative care is so under-resourced. Expertly marshalling the arguments, Stock's laser polemic cuts through the wishful thinking and clouded reasoning that surrounds the issue and reaffirms life, rather than death, as what we should be fighting for. Collectively, we should rage against the dying of the light.
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