Introduction
pt. I. The predicament : death becomes a new kind of problem
Death and hospital culture
Death in life : the "person" and the experience of dying
pt. II. The hospital system : time and the power of the pathway
Transforming time : from deathwatch to billable treatments
Moving things along : The heroic intervention pathway ; The paradox of resuscitation: approach/avoidance on the heroic pathway ; The revolving door pathway
Waiting : Obstructing the order of things ; "Let's wait and see": the indeterminate condition of old age ; Agreement and anticipation: watchful waiting
pt. III. The politics and rhetoric of the patient's condition : "suffering," "dignity," and the "quality of life"
Death by design
Life support
Hidden places : the zone of indistinction as a way of life : The specialized unit: routines without pathways, life with no end ; The shadow side of "death with dignity"
Culture in the making.