Medical advances prolong life. They also sometimes prolong suffering. Should we protect life or alleviate suffering? This dilemma formed the foundation for a powerful right-to-die movement and a counterbalancing concern over an emerging culture of death. What are the qualities of a life worth living? Where are the boundaries of tolerable suffering? This book is based on a hugely popular undergraduate course taught at the University of Texas, and is ideal for those interested in the social construction of social worth, social problems, and social movements.

Sheldon Ekland-Olsonoined The University of Texas at Austin after completing his graduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle and Yale Law School. He is currently the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Centennial Professor of Liberal Arts. He served for five years as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and then for eight years, as Executive Vice President and Provost of the university. He has authored or co-authored several books and numerous, articles on criminal justice, prison reform, and capital punishment. Widely recognized for his commitment to teaching undergraduates, he is the recipient of numerous teaching awards. His current interests are reflected in the book Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides? (Routledge, 2012). Elyshia Aseltine is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She joined the Lycoming faculty after completing her graduate work in sociology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on punishment and inequality in the United States and Africa.