It is clinical, in that it is set out with the logic of a thesis but the use of case studies and quotes from the actual people he studied makes it very human and engaging. So much so, that I began to consider the experiences in light of my own life.

It's a good book to pick up if you are new to the area. Not only because of its definitive status but also because it doesn't pretend to know more than what it's presenting and it does question its own hypothesis. As it is the definitive title, you can see the beginnings of what is now the accepted lingo and knowledge. It's useful and interesting to read about the stages of the near-death experience in the context in which it was first explored.