h of a loved one or even with their own imminent death they pass through certain stages in their thinking. These stages are repeated in every instance as part of the grieving process. They are identified by Knbler-Ross as denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Knbler-Ross examines each of these in turn and relates them to the grieving process both for dying patients and their families. She begins with an assessment of the fear we have of death and dying and a discussion of some of the attitudes that prevail on the subject. The stages detailed by Knbler-Ross have been derived from discussions with dying patients and show what has been learned from these patients in terms of coping mechanisms at the time of a terminal illness. They are applicable to the grieving relatives as well as to the person who is terminally ill. In the broadest sense, the author says that these stages are something through which individuals pass whenever they are faced with tragic news. She says that they are defense mechanisms in psychiatric terms and coping mechanisms to deal with extremely difficult situations. The stages need not be consecutive and can exist side by side, but in order to cope with the situation the patient must pass through all of the stages. The stages serve as a guide for medical personnel first to understand the process themselves and to comprehend what a patient is going through and second to help patients make their way through the grief process to the final stage of acceptance and understanding. The inevitability of the five stages does not mean the death of hope, and it could even be argued that reaching the level of acceptance places the patient in a better mental state to have real hope and to understand his or her options in evaluating treatment and matters related to treatment. Knbler-Ross indicates that the family will have to cope with the issue for a long period of time, even after the deat...