Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction : Why assisted death has become an important public policy issue ; The euthanasia and assisted-suicide underground ; The aims of this study -- 2. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands ; The path to legalization ; The law of 2002 decriminalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide ; Empirical data on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: who, when, why, where, and how? ; Problems in the practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide : Failure to report cases of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide ; Ending life without explicit request of the patient ; Termination of life in pediatric cases ; Assisted death for patients with mental suffering ; Can palliative care eliminate the need for assisted death? ; The Dutch regime of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide assessed -- 3. Voluntary euthanasia in Belgium : How Belgium legalized euthanasia ; The law on euthanasia of May 28, 2002 ; The practice of euthanasia since 2002 -- 4. Assisted suicide in Switzerland : Exit, German Switzerland: Association for a humane death ; Exit, association pour le droit de mourir dans la dignit/̌Suisse Romande ; Dignitas ; Other right-to-die organizations ; The public debate on assisted suicide -- 5. Physician-assisted suicide in Oregon : A legal obstacle course ; The Death with Dignity Act ; Ten years of physician-assisted death ; Criticism and problem areas -- 6. Assisted death as a last resort : Lessons from four regimes of assisted death ; A model statute for physician-assisted suicide ; Dilemmas and promise of legalized assisted death -- Appendices : 1. The Dutch Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act ; 2. The Belgian Act on Euthanasia of 28 May 2002 ; 3. Swiss Criminal Code of 1937 (as of October 1, 2008) ; 4. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act: Oregon revised statutes.