Sociology: death and dying Books

Book Synopsis**DREAM COUNT, the searing, exquisite new novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is out now!**A devastating essay on loss and the people we love from the bestselling author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun.''Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language''On 10 June 2020, the scholar James Nwoye Adichie died suddenly in Nigeria.In this tender and powerful essay, expanded from the original New Yorker text, his daughter, a self-confessed daddy''s girl, remembers her beloved father. Notes on Grief is at once a tribute to a long life of grace and wisdom, the story of a daughter''s fierce love for a parent, and a revealing examination of the layers of loss and the nature of grief.''A work of dignity and of unravelling' GUARDIANAn exquisite howl of pain' TELEGRAPHTrade Review Praise for Notes on Grief ‘Both emotional and austere, a work of dignity and of unravelling’ Guardian ‘With raw eloquence, Adichie’s observations have, simultaneously, an academic detachment and an inescapable anguish at being “in the centre of this churning” with “porous edges that there is no way through” … Notes on Grief is both achingly personal and stunningly familiar to anyone who has felt that scattering’ Independent ‘An exquisite howl of pain written in the aftermath, last year, of the unexpected death of her father’ Telegraph ‘Notes on Grief is a moving account of a daughter’s sorrow and it is also a love letter to the one who has gone. … She is saying don’t go and she is saying goodbye and she is also saying sorry’ Observer ‘In 30 short sections, Notes on Grief lays a path by which we might mourn our individual traumas among the aggregate suffering of this harrowing time.’ New York Times ‘Feels raw, even for a book about grief … It is no salve for her own grief, but Adichie’s brave observance of her own pain, will be a gift to those also suffering their first year of loss in these strange times’ iNews ‘When you send a great writer into the valley of the dead, the reportage is better quality. In 1961 CS Lewis wrote A Grief Observed of the year after the death of his wife; in 2005 Joan Didion wrote The Year of Magical Thinking about the same time span after the death of her husband. Into this tradition falls Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie … For fans of the famously private Adichie – this is fascinatingly intimate. It is also delivered in the most readable, tender bites for any of the many of us whose attention has been shot by the harrowing of this past year’ The Times

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking exploration of the science of longevity from Nobel Prize-winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan

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Book SynopsisLong considered one of Simone de Beauvoir’s masterpieces, A Very Easy Death is a profoundly affecting, day-by-day recounting of her mother’s final days after she is hospitalized following a fall. Though a devout Catholic, her faith is subsumed by her terror of death, and as her body fails, she clings to life with fierce, primal desperation. In depicting her mother’s refusal to ‘go gentle’ while her autonomy and dignity are taken from her, Simone de Beauvoir ‘shows the power of compassion when it is allied with acute intelligence’ (Sunday Telegraph). Powerful, touching and sometimes shocking, this is an end-of-life account that no reader is likely to forget. Trade Review‘True and deeply moving.’ — Annie Ernaux, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize for Literature ‘The mother of 20th-century feminism.’ — Joanna Biggs, London Review of Books‘In every decade of my life since my 20s, I have been awed, confused, intrigued and inspired by Simone de Beauvoir’s attempt to live with meaning, pleasure and purpose.’ — Deborah Levy, author of Real Estate ‘It was Alice Walker, Hélène Cixous, Angela Davis, Virginia Woolf, George Eliot, and Simone Weil and de Beauvoir who mattered most to me.’ — Zadie Smith, author of NW ‘Navigating the complexities of end-of-life with deep compassion and dignity, this moving book is steeped in empathy and the searching, thoughtful interrogation we’ve come to expect from de Beauvoir.’ — Sinéad Gleeson, author of Constellations‘Nowhere is de Beauvoir’s rigorous honesty more visible than in this haunting account of the death of her mother... As she charts her last weeks and her abasement at the hands of doctors and illness, both hostility and unexpected love play themselves out on the page.’ — Lisa Appignanesi, author of Everyday Madness‘It would be hard to think that Simone de Beauvoir who flaunted so many strictures of life, would accept death.... And the intention of this memoir, which is in part a requiem and in part an exorcism, is its disturbing, defiant insistence on the fact that this can only be an utterly lonely experience.’ — Kirkus‘Beauvoir’s graciously written memoirs carry distinct appeal in recording the emotional and intellectual birth pangs of a fascinating woman.’ — Time ‘This book is written with restrained emotion and a literalness, a faithfulness to fact, that is very moving coming from a woman whom we have known as dedicated to abstractions. ... it illustrates the general tragedy of the human condition through a particularized instance. A book of near despair, yet dignified. — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisWhat happens to your body after you have died?Fertilizer? Crash Test Dummy? Human Dumpling? Ballistics Practise? Life after death is not as simple as it looks. Mary Roach''s Stiff lifts the lid off what happens to our bodies once we have died. Bold, original and with a delightful eye for detail, Roach tells us everything we wanted to know about this new frontier in medical science. Interweaving present-day explorations with a history of past attempts to study what it means to be human Stiff is a deliciously dark investigations for readers of popular science as well as fans of the macabre.''Spry, common, sharp-witted survey brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Life after death'' Sunday Times''One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year'' Entertainment Weekly''Every chapter packed with more arresting details elegantly humourously expressed than one can hope for'' <

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Book SynopsisAs a practising mortician, Caitlin Doughty has long been fascinated by our pervasive terror of dead bodies. In From Here to Eternity she sets out in search of cultures unburdened by such fears. With curiosity and morbid humour, Doughty introduces us to inspiring death-care innovators, participates in powerful death practices almost entirely unknown in the West and explores new spaces for mourning - including a futuristic glowing-Buddha columbarium in Japan, a candlelit Mexican cemetery, and America''s only open-air pyre. In doing so she expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with ''dignity'' and reveals unexpected possibilities for our own death rituals.Trade ReviewEach chapter covers a culture with a highly distinctive and apparently ghastly approach to their dearly departed . . . Think Bill Bryson doing an underworld special. This humane book gently provokes you to wonder: what exactly is your ideal funeral? * THE TIMES *Caitlin Doughty, joyful member of the death-positive movement, describes what happens to our mortal remains with relish . . . Jaunty, boisterous and unsentimental, Doughty believes that we in the West have made death and its aftermath into a corporate, perfunctory affair, in which the meaning of an ending is denied. Her mission is to 'reclaim public understanding of dying' and to bring individuality and joy back into our dealings with the dead -- Nicci Gerard * OBSERVER *Compelling . . . Doughty's writing will give you the giggles as well as send a chill down your spine * GUARDIAN *From Here To Eternity is fascinating, thought-provoking and - who would have guessed? - sometimes funny. Put it on your bucket list -- Neil Armstrong * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Doughty's lively (and charmingly illustrated) cascade of anecdotes about how various cultures handle death spells out how contemporary Western fastidiousness about dead bodies is by no means universally shared. We are introduced to a variety of startling practices . . . and pervading the book is Doughty's ferocious critique of the industrialisation of death and burial that is standard in the United States and spreading rapidly elsewhere. Doughty invites us to look at and contemplate alternatives . . . we have choices beyond the conventional; we can think about how we want our dead bodies to be treated as part of a natural physical cycle -- Rowan Williams * NEW STATESMAN *Doughty is fun, with an eye for the bizarre and the absurd. She hits the road in quest of cultures untroubled by the western taboos surrounding mortality -- Robert McCrum * SPECTATOR *Doughty is a relentlessly curious and chipper tour guide to the underworld . . . a likable, witty companion. It is a difficult high-wire act: to make death interesting and funny enough that we'll drop our fears and read, without losing sight of the gravity of the topic. I couldn't help thinking that her dispatches from the dark side were doing us all a kindness * NEW YORK TIMES *From Here to Eternity is Doughty's tour of the death ways of other peoples, from Bolivia to Barcelona . . . [she] chronicles each of these practices with tenderheartedness, a technician's fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief * THE NEW YORKER *Doughty finds the humanity in other cultures' relationship with death that seems to be lacking in ours * VICE *From Indonesia to Mexico and all points in between, Doughty talks to a wide array of professionals, handling the topic with curiosity, frankness and no small amount of humour -- Doug Johnstone * THE BIG ISSUE *Both sensitive and light, and thoroughly researched, written by an author who genuinely wanted to learn from, not fetishise, other customs * GUARDIAN *Really fascinating -- Alice Waters * NEW YORK TIMES *In her jocular but reverential tone . . . Doughty doesn't offer a simple morbid travelogue; instead, she digs into diverse death experiences with deep veneration and examines ties to socioeconomic, status, female identity and religion * BOOKLIST *A study in cultures, places and profound moments - and with a necessary slice of morbid humour too * WANDERLUST *Moving and inspiring * BELFAST TELEGRAPH *Written with great humour and respect, this book will undoubtedly educate, entertain, and leave you dying to learn more * GEOGRAPHICAL *Far from morbid, but moving * WOMAN'S WAY *[Doughty's] fascinating tour of rituals contains liturgies that readers will surely observe as rare, macabre, unbelievable, ancient, and precious - sometimes simultaneously * KIRKUS *

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Book SynopsisIn this interfaith book Lucinda Mosher investigates different understandings of destiny, loss, death, and remembrance in America's many religions. Using stories and interviews with a variety of religious adherents and health professionals, the book wrestles with questions such as: how can our religion guide us in making decisions about certain kinds of medical treatment options? What religion-related issues would it be helpful for a healthcare provider to know? How do different religious traditions help manage our grief?In a globalized society religious traditions sit alongside each other as never before, and the need for religious literacy and multifaith chaplaincy is increasingly recognized. By looking at multireligious America, this book provides an essential exploration of different attitudes to death, helping members of all faith communities to become more literate with each other's religious traditions.Trade ReviewDr. Mosher provides insights into how the big questions of life and death are answered within the rich tapestry of American religious life. This book is a must-read for anyone working in the caring professions, whether physicians, nurses, counselors, chaplains, or therapists. America is becoming a more diverse place and this book is a valuable guide to navigating it. -- Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, TXThis book changed me as much as anything I have read in recent years. If you want to know more about the full humanity your new neighbors-and are willing to think more deeply about your own eventual demise as well-then you cannot have better companions than the ones Lucinda Mosher introduces you to in this book. -- Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Learning to Walk in the DarkIn the context of religious pluralism and the needs of healthcare professionals to increase their interfaith literacy, Mosher's book is a gift. Its thematic approach speaks to the heart of person-centered care, and is enriched by a mosaic of voices within and across faith perspectives which leads practitioners not into an acquisition of knowledge but a deep relational respect and wonder, that builds cultural competency from the inside out -- The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Theology, United Lutheran SeminaryTable of ContentsPreface. 1. What We Are. 2. When We're Ailing. 3. Postponing Death, Extending Life. 4. Transition. 5. Recovery. Quick Information Guide to Religions. Suggestions for Further Reading. Glossary.

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Book Synopsis'Utterly gripping' - The Guardian 'Fascinating' - The Sunday Times 'Moving' - Scotsman 'Engrossing' - Financial Times Sue Black confronts death every day. As a Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, she focuses on mortal remains in her lab, at burial sites, at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment, and when investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident or natural disaster. In All That Remains she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and examining what her life and work has taught her. Do we expect a book about death to be sad? Macabre? Sue's book is neither. There is tragedy, but there is also humour in stories as gripping as the best crime novel. Part memoir, part science, part meditation on death, her book is compassionate, surprisingly funny, and it will make you think about death in a new light. ________ SUE BLACK'S NEW BOOK, WRITTEN IN BONE, IS OUT NOW _________ 'One might expect [this book] to be a grim read but it absolutely isn't. I found it invigorating!' (Andrew Marr, BBC Radio 4 'Start the Week') 'Black's utterly gripping account of her life and career as a professor of anatomy and forensic anthropology manages to be surprisingly life-affirming. As she herself says, it is "as much about life as about death"' (PD Smith Guardian) 'An engrossing memoir . . . an affecting mix of personal and professional' (Erica Wagner, Financial Times) 'A model of how to write about the effect of human evil without losing either objectivity or sensitivity . . . Heartening and anything but morbid . . . Leaves you thinking about what kind of human qualities you value, what kinds of people you actually want to be with' (Rowan Williams, New Statesman) 'For someone whose job is identifying corpses, Sue Black is a cheerful soul . . . All That Remains feels like every episode of 'Silent Witness', pre-fictionalised. Except, you know, really good' (Helen Rumbelow, The Times)Trade ReviewOne might expect [this book] to be a grim read but it absolutely isn’t. I found it invigorating! -- Andrew Marr * BBC Radio 4 'Start the Week' *Black’s utterly gripping account of her life and career as a professor of anatomy and forensic anthropology manages to be surprisingly life-affirming. As she herself says, it is “as much about life as about death”. -- PD Smith * Guardian *An engrossing memoir ... an affecting mix of the personal and professional. -- Erica Wagner * Financial Times *A model of how to write about the effect of human evil without losing either objectivity or sensitivity ... Heartening and anything but morbid... Leaves you thinking about what kind of human qualities you value, what kinds of people you actually want to be with. -- Rowan Williams * New Statesman *For someone whose job is identifying corpses, Sue Black is a cheerful soul ... All That Remains feels like every episode of Silent Witness, pre-fictionalized. Except, you know, really good. -- Helen Rumbelow * The Times *

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Book SynopsisCan we give Grandma a Viking funeral?Why don''t animals dig up all the graves?Will my hair keep growing in my coffin after I''m buried?Every day, funeral director Caitlin Doughty receives dozens of questions about death. Here she offers her factual, hilarious and candid answers to thirty-five of the most interesting, sharing the lore and science of what happens to, and inside, our bodies after we die. Why do corpses groan? What causes bodies to turn strange colours during decomposition? and why do hair and nails appear longer after death? The answers are all within . . .Trade ReviewNobody likes to think about mortality, but if you're going to, there are far worse places to start than Doughty. WILL MY CAT EAT MY EYEBALLS? is funny, dark, and at times stunningly existential. As to whether or not your cat will eat your eyeballs? You'll just have to read the book to find out * Guardian *Fascinating. Taking a no-holds-barred approach, Doughty writes in visceral and engaging detail about an often taboo subject * OBSERVER *Consistently good fun * SPECTATOR *There's serious science here, but also cultural lessons in death and dying, a little history, and a touch of gruesomeness wrapped in that shroud of sharp, witty humour * Philadelphia Tribune *[A] delightful mixture of science and humour * Library Journal *Doughty's answers are as delightful and distinctive as the questions. She blends humour with respect for the dead . . . Her investigations of ritual, custom, law and science are thorough, and she doesn't shy from naming the parts of Grandma's body that might leak after she is gone * Shelf Awareness *

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Book SynopsisThe terrifying fact is this: Huntington’s disease leads to physical and mental deterioration. There is no cure. It is handed down genetically, with a 1:2 chance of inheritance that cannot be determined until the disease shows itself, often not until the sufferer is in their 40s. Many do not know they have the gene or are at risk of passing it on. Those who do know, because a parent has suffered from it, may wait a lifetime before finding out whether they are safe or not. The prospects are horrific. After his first marriage failed, Brian Verity had a breakdown and married the woman who nursed him back to health. Within a few years, she began showing the signs of Huntington’s that he had seen in other members of her family and that he had a morbid fear of. Having fallen in love with her in hospital, he now found himself repelled, fearful of his own psychological fragility and inability to cope and yet committed to protecting her from the terrible distress that lay in wait. In his view, assisted dying was her only option. Was he right? Stephen Games, who edited this book, was in contact with Brian Verity in the year before he died, and is available to talk about the raw issues raised by the author and about the wider context of the book.

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Book SynopsisWhat happens to us as we die? Discover the answers in this exclusive 25th anniversary edition of Sherwin B Nuland's seminal book With a foreword by Paul Kalanithi, bestselling author of When Breath Becomes Air.There are many books intended to help people deal with the trauma of bereavement, but few which explore the reality of death itself. Sherwin B. Nuland - with over thirty years'' experience as a surgeon - explains in detail the processes which take place in the body and strips away many illusions about death. The result is a unique and compelling book, addressing the one final fact that all of us must confront.''I don''t know of any writer or scientist who has shown us the face of death as clearly, honestly and compassionately as Sherwin Nuland does here''Trade ReviewHow We Die is a classic of medical writing. It’s at once scientific and accessible, precise and philosophical, elegant and blunt. Sherwin Nuland introduced a new kind of writing with this book, and his insights sparkle as much now as they did twenty-five years ago. They address not only how we die, but also how we can live. -- Andrew SolomonHow We Die teaches and gives us the courage to come to terms with our own death. As difficult as the facts may be, it shows us they are less frightening than our imagination. It is a book that should be read by all. -- Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works

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Book SynopsisAN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICKTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER -- FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN''T STOP TALKINGAmazing and profound . . . every single person should read it Johann HariMoving and eloquent Sunday TimesWhether you long for the partner who broke up with you, or the one you dream of meeting; whether you hunger for the happy childhood you''ll never have, or for the divine; whether you yearn for a lost person, an unborn child, the fountain of youth, or unconditional love: These are all manifestations of the same great ache...In this inspiring and genre-bending work, Susan Cain - author of the international bestseller Quiet - shows us the power of a bittersweet outlook: the overlooked tendency to states of longing and poignancy, and a piercing joy at the beauty of the world.Embracing the bittersweet means understanding that light and dark, birth and death - bitter and sweet - are forever paired, and that by recognising this we can find the true path to creativity and connection.Bringing to light the ideas of artists, writers and thinkers from all over the world, and her own quest for answers over the course of a lifetime, Susan Cain fundamentally shifts our understanding of life by teaching us how to turn sorrow into an enriching superpower.Trade ReviewI'll place Bittersweet in the hands of all my feely, achy, beautiful friends -- Glennon Doyle, author of #1 NYT bestseller UntamedSusan Cain's Bittersweet grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go -- Brené Brown, author of the NYT bestseller Atlas of the HeartThis is the rare book that doesn't just open your eyes - it touches your heart and sings to your soul -- Adam Grant, #1 NYT bestselling author of Think AgainThis book is an absolute triumph: it's for anyone who has ever really lived, loved, or lost -- Greg McKeown, author of NYT bestsellers Effortless and EssentialismAn amazing and profound book . . . every single person should read it -- Johann Hari, bestselling author of Stolen Focus

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, the nature and mystery of death has captivated artists, scientists, philosophers, physicians, and theologians. This eerie chronology ventures right to the borderlines of science and sheds light into the darkness. Here, topics as wide ranging as the Maya death gods, golems, and séances sit side by side with entries on zombies and quantum immortality. With the turn of every page, readers will encounter beautiful artwork, along with unexpected insights about death and what may lie beyond.

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Book Synopsis'Combining vivid storytelling with thoughtful reflections… A Second Act calls to something deep inside me, inside all of us, not to let the wonder of being alive pass us by. I hope this book reaches readers everywhere, to inspire and console them’ -- Dr Kathryn Mannix, author and palliative care doctor 'Dramatic and heart-warming' The Times I’ve worked as a doctor for over twenty years, caring for patients who are in the thick fog between life and death. I’ve met hundreds of people who have died, were resuscitated and lived. I’ve long thought that these are the people that we should be listening to, not influencers or business gurus. They know what really matters. Dr Matt Morgan has met hundreds of people who’ve come back from the dead. Their hearts stopped, their bodies unresponsive, rescued from the brink of death by the modern intensive care techniques he specialises in.   People like Ed, who was walking through a park when there was a bang, a bright light and then nothing. Ed had been hit by a bolt of lightning – 300 million volts, enough to power a city for a day, coursed through his body, short-circuiting his heart. Ed was given life-saving CPR and he survived. He lives a little differently now, every day knowing the thin margins that separate life and death.  In A Second Act, Morgan introduces us to patients who’ve experienced hypothermia, overdoses, heart attacks and transplants to see how their lives have been transformed by the second chance they’ve been given. He shares the lessons they’ve learned, along with his own realisations about life and how to make the most of it. Life shouldn’t be wasted on the living.  

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Book SynopsisWe have lost the ability to deal with death. Most of our friends and beloved relations will die in a busy hospital in the care of strangers, doctors and nurses they have known at best for a couple of weeks. They may not even know they are dying, victims of the kindly lie that there is still hope. They are unlikely to see even their family doctor in their final hours, robbed of their dignity and fed through a tube after a long series of excessive and hopeless medical interventions. This is the starting point of Seamus O'Mahoney's thoughtful, moving and unforgettable book on the western way of death. Dying has never been more public, with celebrities writing detailed memoirs of their illness, but in private we have done our best to banish all thought of dying and made a good death increasingly difficult to achieve.Trade Review[O'Mahony] beautifully describes the "ideal" fantasy death we create for ourselves * Irish Examiner *Offers a frank and pessimistic view of how we think about death... provocative and effective' * The Times *Mahony leaves no stone unturned, sniffing out cant and hypocrisy wherever he finds it. And his views are as consistently intelligent as they are surprising. All of this culminates in an impassioned battle-cry, 4/5' * The Daily Telegraph *Gives us a rare glimpse into the world of death and dying from the vantage point of a medical doctor * Irish Times *The book forces you to confront the most uncomfortable of subjects. This is a good thing * Prospect *A joy to read... I hope that when I die that I have a doctor like O'Mahony to look after me' * BMJ blog *Compelling, throught-provoking book * The Tablet *A provocative essay * Sunday Independent (Dublin) *A searingly honest and humane book that is challenging yet profoundly important * Guardian. *Trenchant but compassionate * Irish Daily Mail. *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from, and why do they endure?Trade Review‘[Ehrman’s] is a vast learning worn wonderfully lightly and he is an engaging but expert guide around how religious ideas were formed and shaped our world.’ * The Times *‘Many redoubtable volumes have been written about all this, but Ehrman, who already has more than two-dozen books on early Christianity under his belt, merrily blows the dust off the subject.’ * The Economist *‘This elegant history explores the evolution of the concept of the afterlife in Western thought... Well-trod subjects are presented with engaging clarity, and more contentious theories are laid out carefully.’ * The New Yorker *‘Ehrman, as always, writes in a very accessible way, and gives the reader plenty to think about.’ * Irish Independent *‘An impressively readable, clear and wide-ranging study.’ -- Spectator‘A number of religions and philosophies give detailed accounts of post-mortem existence; in this learned and highly readable book, Bart Ehrman offers a tour of the whole field… There are many nuances possible here; Ehrman presents them all with great clarity and massive scholarship.' * TLS *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface Chapter One: Guided Tours of Heaven and Hell Chapter Two: The Fear of Death Chapter Three: Life After Death Before There Was Life After Death Chapter Four: Will Justice Be Done? The Rise of Postmortem Rewards and Punishments Chapter Five: Death After Death in the Hebrew Bible Chapter Six: Dead Bodies That Return to Life: The Resurrection in Ancient Israel Chapter Seven: Why Wait for the Resurrection? Life After Death Right After Death Chapter Eight: Jesus and the Afterlife Chapter Nine: The Afterlife After Jesus’s Life: Paul the Apostle Chapter Ten: Altering the Views of Jesus: The Later Gospels Chapter Eleven: The Afterlife Mysteries of the Book of Revelation Chapter Twelve: Eternal Life in the Flesh Chapter Thirteen: Tactile Ecstasy and Torment in the Christian Hereafter Chapter Fourteen: Who Will Inherit the Blessings? Purgatory, Reincarnation, and Salvation for All Afterword Notes Index

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Book SynopsisJazz and Death: Reception, Rituals, and Representations critically examines the myriad and complex interactions between jazz and death, from the New Orleans "jazz funeral" to jazz in heaven or hell, final recordings, jazz monuments, and the music’s own presumed death. Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jazz and Death1. When I Die, You Better Second Line: The New Orleans "Jazz Funeral"2. The Devil’s Music: Jazz in Hell3. Louis and the Angels: Jazz in Heaven4. Swan Songs: Final Concerts and Last Recordings5. The Long Fall: The Death of Chet Baker6. Nine Naked Muses: Memorializing Ellington7. Funky Odors: Is Jazz Itself Dead?

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Book SynopsisChristopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has tended thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love, meaning and grace. They reveal that there is hope beyond cure as they transition to focus on personal meaning. In this extraordinary and beautiful book, Dr. Kerr shares his patients' stories and his own research pointing to death as not purely the end of life, but as a final passage of humanity and transcendence.Drawing on interviews with over 1,200 patients and more than a decade of quantified data , Dr. Kerr reveals why pre-death dreams and visions are remarkable events that bring comfort and exemplify human resilience. These are not regular dreams. Described as "more real than real," they frequently include loved ones long gone and mark the transition from distress to acceptance. These end-of-life experiences help patients restore meaning, make sense of the dying process and assist in reclaiming it as an experience in which they have a say. They also benefit the bereaved who get relief from seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure.Beautifully written with astonishing stories, this book, at its heart, celebrates the power to reclaim how we die, while soothing the bereaved who witness their loved ones go with unqualified grace.Trade ReviewThis comforting guide will reassure the dying and their loved ones while providing instructive portraits of end-of-life patients for those who work in medical and healing professions * Publisher's Weekly *Whether you have a loved one nearing the end, or are contemplating what may lie beyond this life, you'll find that Dr Kerr's book brings meaning and even beauty to our final stage. I recommend it highly for anyone with a finite lifespan * Dale Bredesen, MD *Based on deep experience, this loving, emotionally wise book will help many people find the path to love, acceptance and meaning as they face life's end * Katy Butler *This reality is shared with us by a hospice physician who, himself, learned so much from the dying. And what did he learn? That by being truly present with those who are dying, one learns how to live * James Doty, MD *A beautiful portrait of the human capacity for transcendence at the end of life. This book will inspire you reflect on the love and meaning you have experienced in your own life, and help you listen to, and be with, those nearing the end of their lives * Kelly McGonigal, PhD *[A] sympathetic and intriguing book. [Death is But a Dream is] an uplifting and reassuring work testifying to the deep restorative and spiritual - though not necessarily religious - nature of pre-death visions * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisAbove, a city thriving with life. Beneath, a city filled with the dead. London. A vast, labyrinthine, ever-moving place that shimmers as the jewel of Britain. But what about beneath it? What of it''s history? It''s mishaps? It''s dead? Catharine Arnold invites us on a gloriously macabre tour - across London''s many graveyards, cemeteries and burial plots in a quest to discover whether what has departed can teach us anything about what is to come. It''s an intriguing, occasionally dark, occasionally humorous journey that reaches right back to the Romans and concludes with the most recent display of mass public mourning: Princess Diana''s funeral. Utilising archaeology, anthropology, anecdote and history, Arnold explores the presence of death in people''s lives and the developments and changes in mourning and burial through two millennia. London''s greatest disasters, including the Great Fire and the Black Plague, are explored and analysed for their m

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 New York Times Bestseller A poignant love letter to Bloom's husband and a passionate outpouring of grief, In Love reaffirms the power and value of human relationships. In January 2020, Amy Bloom travelled with her husband Brian to Switzerland, where he was helped by Dignitas to end his life while Amy sat with him and held his hand. Brian was terminally ill and for the last year of his life Amy had struggled to find a way to support his wish to take control of his death, to not submerge 'into the darkness of an expiring existence'. Written with piercing insight and wit, In Love is Bloom's intimate, authentic and startling account of losing Brian, first slowly to the disease of Alzheimer's, and then on becoming a widow. It charts the anxiety and pain of the process that led them to Dignitas, while never avoiding the complex ethical problems that are raised by assisted death. 'Poignant, kind, funny and ultimately redemptive' - Alain de Botton, author of The Course of Love 'In Love is a thrillingly beautiful, laser-eyed book about love, life, mortality and, most remarkably, about the ways in which no one of the three can be separated from the others' - Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours and A Home at the End of the WorldTrade ReviewReading this book is, purely and simply, a transcendent experience. In Love is a thrillingly beautiful, laser-eyed book about love, life, mortality and, most remarkably, about the ways in which no one of the three can be separated from the others. Prepare yourself to be heartbroken, expanded, unsettled, and filled with hope. -- Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours and A Home at the End of the WorldI read In Love in one sitting on a long flight and a flight never went by so fast. I am full of admiration for this important memoir. The mastery of this book draws us in, and delivers us, by the last page, changed. -- Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck ClubIn Love is a buoyant and entrancing memoir about one of the worst things that can happen to a couple. Bloom's unfiltered glimpse into a working marriage is both a touchingly besotted portrait of her husband and a wrenching account of his gradual retreat from her. Their resolute approach to his death yields up a story pulsing with raw life -- Alison BechdelThis is a beautiful necessary book for anyone who loves their partner deeply and wonders and worries what the end might be like: poignant, kind, funny and ultimately redemptive. One cries a lot, in the best of ways -- Alain de BottonA remarkable book from one of the USA's most consistently brilliant writers. The subject is death, so the end is inevitable; but Bloom's story is full of surprises and some of the most heartbreaking, honest and funniest writing you'll ever read -- Roddy DoyleWhat a book this is-full of everything that matters. In Love is gripping, moving, and beautifully told. I'm so glad I read it -- Meg WolitzerA lasting monument to the power of love -- Damian BarrStaggeringly honest * Guardian *[Bloom] can make you laugh and break your heart in the same beat... A sharp observer and an immaculate stylist, Bloom balances a lack of sentimentality with the expression of her love for the man she felt slipping away and then helped to die... a more romantic statement does not exist -- Sarah Ditum * The Times *A lovely, spare, very moving and beautiful book... Wonderful -- Richard Coles[A] courageous howl of a memoir ... It's also consistently funny ... Heartache makes [Bloom] savvy and sarcastic, a tone she pairs with a memorable descriptive shorthand ... This startling book teaches * Observer *Fascinating and moving ... a breath-taking story of dialogue and the search for truth * Irish Times *A remarkably ambitious book that blends art criticism, biography, and memoir... [De Freston's] lyrical prose finds beauty in the dark -- Chloë Ashby * Elephant *Sharply observed, often witty, eminently moving... [Bloom] has written about [her husband] with all the brave-spirited, undaunted love to which the book bears stupendous witness -- Sally Vickers * Guardian *A memoir with a difference, one with an ethical, emotional and philosophical edge on most grief memoirs... Lively, accessible and deeply thoughtful, In Love is a truly important book * Irish Times *Not only riveting, but also practical and funny... [Bloom's] matter-of-fact attention to detail, sharp eye for the absurd and gift for simple, elegant language make her account of her harrowing experiences consistently absorbing... Remarkable -- Wendy Moore * TLS *Evoke[s] the dreamy, almost unreal, nature of the process * Prospect *Moving... She doesn't pull her punches. There is no false rhetoric, no empty sentimentality. She tells it as it was * Jewish Chronicle *Bloom's aching account of loss is brave, tender and ultimately life-affirming... A beautiful account * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisKarl Marx is buried in London, John Keats in Rome and Leon Trotsky in Mexico. Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is today known for the graves of Jim Morrison, Victor Hugo and Oscar Wilde, but when it opened in the early 19th century the owners felt that they needed some star names to make it a desired burial site – and so they had Molière’s body transferred there. Arranged thematically into 75 entries, Graves of the Great and Famous tours the world exploring the resting places of leading artists, thinkers, scientists, sportspeople, revolutionaries, politicians and pioneers. Some, such as communist leaders Ho Chi Minh and Vladimir Lenin, are interred in great mausoleums, where they are visited by millions each year; others are buried in little-known country graveyards. From lives cut short through assassinations – Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln – to those who suffered terrible accidents (Princess Diana), from mobsters such as Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel and John Gotti to Napoleon and his mistress Marie Walewska, from Nelson Mandela to Eva Peron, Graceland to Highgate Cemetery, the book provides a guide to some of the most famous and unusual graves of the great and the good. Featuring 150 photographs of graves, cemeteries, graveyards and mausoleums, Graves of the Great and Famous is a compact guide to the final resting place of the famous – and infamous.Table of ContentsIntroduction Actors and Directors James Dean Marilyn Monroe Stan Laurel Buster Keaton Judy Garland Bruce Lee Natalie Wood Ingrid & Ingmar Bergman Bette Davis Yves Montand/Simone Signoret Marlene Dietrich Akira Kurosawa Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher Artists and Designers Leonardo Albrecht Durer Michelangelo Jacques-Louis David Goya Gauguin Christian Dior Albert Namatjira Coco Chanel Max Ernst Musicians, Entertainers and Sportspeople JS Bach Wolfgang Mozart Beethoven Frederic Chopin Richard Wagner Tchaikovsky Johann Strauss Giuseppe Verdi Edith Piaf Jimi Hendrix Jim Morrison Elvis Presley Bob Marley John Lennon Frank Zappa Michael Hutchence Frank Sinatra Johnny Cash & June Carter Muhammad Ali Revolutionaries, Rebels and Humanitarians Martin Luther Oliver Cromwell Simon Bolivar Sojourner Truth V I Lenin Leon Trotsky Hans and Sophie Scholl Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther King Ho Chi Minh Oskar Schindler Mao Tse-Tung Mother Teresa Rosa Parks Nelson Mandela Royals, Rulers and Politicians Julius Caesar Augustus Saladin Vlad the Impaler Hideyoshi Elizabeth I & Westminster Abbey Peter I the Great and Catherine the Great Napoleon Abraham Lincoln Sun Yat Sen Kemal Ataturk FDR Eva Peron John F Kennedy Winston Churchill Sukarno Haile Selassie Princess Diana Thinkers, Scientists and Explorers Confucius Columbus Copernicus Galileo Isaac Newton Charles Darwin Karl Marx Richard Burton Marie & Pierre Curie Albert Schweitzer Yuri Gagarin Dian Fossey Stephen Hawking Writers, Poets and Playwrights Omar Khayyam William Shakespeare Moliere Voltaire Yosa Buson Mary Wollstonecraft Jane Austen John Keats Balzac Mary Shelley Hans Christian Anderson George Eliot Victor Hugo Oscar Wilde Leo Tolstoy Ivan Franko Wilfred Owen Marcel Proust Franz Kafka James Joyce Colette Bertoldt Brecht Truman Capote Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable stories of beloved pets?from the famous and unusual to the everyday?memorialized at burial sites around the world, accompanied by a rich selection of archival photos and the author''s evocative images of their final resting places.

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Book SynopsisA unique, intimate and beautiful exploration of grief, loss, healing and faith''This is a beautiful book, a remarkable, cadenced recollection of how grief lives in the body. It is poetry as a kind of dance. You have to read it'' EDMUND DE WAALWe sat in the kitchen across the small wooden table from each other. She cried like banks bursting, then silence; like winds blowing through her shoulders, chest bouncing, then long shallow breaths. She ruptured and I watched, still, emotionless. ''You must stop crying.''When Marie-Elsa was just six years old, her mother took her own life. Now, many years later, she returns to that night. Going back to that moment, inhabiting this defining tragedy, allows for an exploration of the grief but also brings healing.Written partly as a series of unsent letters to both her mother and father, Sleeping Letters is a way of connecting to past family, an attempt to reconcile with loss, as well as

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Book SynopsisSome of the greatest writers in the history of the art-Hart Crane, Ernest Hemingway, Jerzy Kosinski, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Virginia Woolf-all chose to silence themselves by suicide, leaving their families and friends with heartbreak and the world of literature with gaping holes. Their reasons for killing themselves, when known, were varied and, quite often, unreasonable. Some were plagued by depression or self-doubt, and others by frustration and helplessness in a world they could neither change nor tolerate.Profoundly moving and morbidly attractive, Final Drafts is a necessary historical record, biographical treatment, and psychological examination of the authors who left this "cruel world" by their own hands, either instantly or over long periods of relentless self-destructive behavior. It is also a devoted examination of references to suicide in literature, both by those who took their own lives and those who decided to live. Mark Seinfelt has selected many well-known (mostly fiction) writers, from those whose work dates to over a century ago-when the medical community was ill-equipped to deal with substance abuse and depression-to more recent writers such as Kosinski, Michael Dorris, and Eugene Izzi, who have left a puzzled literary community with a sad legacy.Seinfelt reveals that many authors contemplated ending their lives in their work; were obsessed with destroying themselves; were unable-in the case of the Holocaust-to live with the fact that their contemporaries had been killed; believed death to be a freedom from the horrors that forced them to create; and, sometimes, were simply unable to withstand rejection or criticism of their work.Other noted authors discussed in this volume include John Berryman, Ambrose Bierce, Harry Crosby, John Davidson, William Inge, Randall Jarrell, Arthur Koestler, T.E. Lawrence, Primo Levi, Jack London, Jay Anthony Lukas, Tom McHale, Yukio Mishima, Henry de Montherlant, Seth Morgan, George Sterling, Sara Teasdale, Ernst Toller, John Kennedy Toole, Sergey Yesenin, and many others

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Book SynopsisA wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary collection of essays that decenter, critique, and problematize predominant notions of the meaning of mortality for human creativityThis issue of Alif explores the ways in which humans have come to confront their mortality across time and space. Contributions question the nature of loss, grief, and the possibility of an afterlife. Is death only an interlude? Perhaps simply the end? How have people used literature and the arts to conceptualize its relentless presence in our existence?The articles in this issue decenter, critique, and problematize predominant notions of the meaning of mortality for human creativity. They provide a wide scope of responses to mortality, anthropologically, philosophically, and psychologically. They shed light on different cultural receptions of loss, annihilation, and mortality, ranging from India to Yemen, Palestine to Iraq, the Island of Lampedusa to the war-ravished city of Beirut, among many other locales. Death is dealt with in an intimate fashion through the exploration and reinterpretation of modern and classical elegiac poetry, children’s picturebooks, fictional accounts of war, grief, and displacement, and dramatic treatments of dying and the afterlife.Contributors: Hajjaj Abu Jabr, Egyptian Academy of Arts, Cairo, EgyptKaram AbuSehly, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, EgyptHala Amin, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, EgyptShaimaa El-Ateek, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaMohamed Birairi, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt, and American University in Cairo, Cairo, EgyptElliott Colla, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USASaeed Elmasry, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptShaimaa Gohar, Ain Shams University, Cairo, EgyptWalid El Khachab, York University, Toronto, CanadaYasmine Motawy, American University in Cairo, Cairo, EgyptDani Nassif, University of Münster, Münster, GermanyAndrea Maria Negri, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, GermanyMarwa Ramadan, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EgyptCaroline Rooney, University of Kent, Kent, United KingdomTania Al Saadi, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenMay Telmissany, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CanadaShahla Ujayli, American University of Madaba, Madaba, JordanTable of ContentsEnglish and French SectionCaroline Rooney: Shakespeare’s Hermetic Lampedusa: From Colonial Fantasies to the Afterlife in The TempestAndrea Maria Negri: Representations of Death in al-Maqāmāt al-HindiyyaShaimaa El-Ateek: Thanatogenos: Photographing Death and Writing Mourning in Barthes’s Camera Lucida and Mourning DiaryElliott Colla: Elegy and Mobilization: Poetry, Mourning, and the Student Uprising of January 1972Marwa Ramadan: On the Threshold of Death: Liminality and Transformation in Margaret Edson’s WitTania Al Saadi: La mort dans la littérature irakienne de l’exil : L’exemple d’Inaam KachachiShaimaa Gohar: Taming the Terror of Death in George Saunders’s Lincoln in the BardoHala Amin: Frankenstein’s Monster, Past and Present: Writing Against Death in Frankenstein in BaghdadArabic SectionSaeed Elmasry: Cultural Approaches to Mortality: A Critical Overview of the Anthropology of DeathMohamed Birairi: Confronting Annihilation: Readings in Pre-Islamic PoetryKaram AbuSehly: Literature as Archive of Mortality: Walter Benjamin’s Theory of TrauerspielMay Telmissany: Death and the Annihilation of History in Egyptian SurrealismHajjaj Abu Jabr: Death of God Theology: The Holocaust of Paul Celan and Mahmoud DarwishShahla Ujayli: ‘Abd al-Salām al-‘Ujaylī’s Stories of Illness between Culture and the Medical InstitutionWalid El Khachab: Mystic Annihilation in Sufi Art: Death as a Form of LifeDani Nassif: Traumatic Past and Fantasy: Testimonies of the Undead in Rabī‘ Jābir’s BīrītūsYasmine Motawy: “Normal Grief”: Death in Children’s Picturebooks

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Book SynopsisA dazzling follow-up to Life as told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal. We would love to discover that each species has a biological clock in its cells, because, if that clock existed and if we were able to find it, perhaps we could stop it and thus become eternal,' Arsuaga tells Millás in this book, in which science is intertwined with literature. The paleontologist reveals essential aspects of our existence to the writer, and debates the advisability of transmitting his random vision of life to a dieting Millás, who discovers that old age is a country in which he still feels like a foreigner. After the extraordinary international reception of Life as told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal, the most brilliant double act in Spanish literature once again dazzle the reader by addressing topics such as death and eternity, longevity, disease, ageing, natural selection, programmed death, and survival. Here you will find humour, biology, nature, life, a lot of life ... and two fascinating characters, the Sapiens and the Neanderthal, who surprise us on every page with their sharp reflections on how evolution has treated us as a species. And also as individuals.

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Book Synopsis ''Wonderful, thoughtful, practical'' - Cariad Lloyd, Griefcast''Encouraging and inspiring'' - Dr Kathryn Mannix, author of Amazon bestseller With the End in MindWe all know how this ends is a new approach to death and dying, showing how exploring our mortality really can change our lives.End-of-life doula Anna Lyons and funeral director Louise Winter have joined forces to share a collection of the heartbreaking, surprising and uplifting stories of the ordinary and extraordinary lives they encounter every single day. From working with the living, the dying, the dead and the grieving, Anna and Louise reveal the lessons they''ve learned about life, death, love and loss. Together they''ve created a profound but practical guide to rethinking the one thing that''s guaranteed to happen to us all. We are all going to die, and that''s ok. Let''s talk about it. This is a book about life and living, as much as it''s aTrade Reviewwonderful -- Cariad Lloyd * Griefcast *encouraging and inspiring -- Kathryn Mannix * palliative care doctor and author of With The End in Mind *We don't have to think about death and dying all the time but when we want to - or are forced to - how wonderful to have a manual to sustain and guide us through it all -- Sarah BrownThis book is one of the most important I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down -- Clemmie TelfordA truly compelling read that proves why it is so desperately important that we speak openly about death; of others' and the prospect of our own -- Elle WrightKindness, wisdom, and sensible advice for grappling with our common fate -- Caitlin DoughtyAnna Lyons and Louise Winter are no strangers to death. Between them, they have years of experience working closely with the dying and the bereaved. In their book Life. Death Whatever. Lyons and Winter blend practical information with compassionate advice which at times is less about dying and more about living. Full of real-world advice and hard-won insight, this is an honest, touching, and essential guide for each and every one of us for whom 'death is the future' -- Lindsey Fitzharris * bestselling author of The Butchering Art *This book is a total breath of fresh air and so needed for anyone who thinks dying isn’t going to happen to them because, um, it is. It’s a guide to death and dying that won’t scare the hell out of you and will in fact make you wonder why the heck you’d never considered how you want to die. A must read for all mere mortals -- Kris Hallenga * founder of CoppaFeel! *There is no formula for navigating your way through grief, or for dealing with the death of someone and I've been told so many times that there is no manual. But Life. Death. Whatever. is about as close to a manual as you're ever going to find -- Steve BlandThis book is vital – it should have been written years ago! -- Charlotte Philbya jewel of a book -- Fran Hall * CEO of The Good Funeral Guide *An intelligent, thought-provoking and comprehensive roadmap through life, death, whatever. Sensitively written and absolutely clear as day. I wish this book had been around when I lost my mother -- Ryan RileyHonest, helpful and healing; the emotionally intelligent guide to demystifying death, so we can live better lives -- Rosa HoskinsPractical, uplifting advice ... a manual for life and living – and embracing everything that life has to offer. Including the end. * Country & Town House *A fascinating book … something every single one of us needs ... I’ve never read a book like this before -- Jo Good * Radio 2 *A fantastic resource -- Georgina Godwin * Monocle *The conversation is open and honest and I don’t think I have read any other book that will have taught me as much as this one. -- Katie Hickey * Tipping the Balance Podcast *This should be required reading for all the living. * Booklist *Rare guidance through the minefield of talking to children about death ... directives about what to say or how to listen to someone is in mourning ... provide a toolbox for conversations in which we are likely to flounder. Sections such as these will ensure that We All Know How This Ends remains on my reference-book shelf. * TLS *Table of ContentsIntroduction This book begins at the end We really need to talk about death and dying Why we really don’t want to talk about it The Life. Death. Whatever. manifesto What is Five Things? What is Unsaid? Death & dying Can doulas be part of the future of end-of-life care? Why I became an end-of-life doula How to become an end-of-life doula What does a good doula look like? From doula to patient and back again When you’re first diagnosed Debunking the myths of palliative care and hospices Getting the most from your consultations with your doctor and specialist Sex and intimacy are still just as important when you’re unwell Dying doesn’t look like it does in the movies How to be there for someone when they are dying Preparing for death: doing your death admin Making funeral arrangements in advance Different places to die COVID-19: A pandemic in our lifetime ‘Out of order’ death Baby Amy The toll illness can take on relationships Assisted dying A matter of life and death The undeniable beauty in the impermanence of life Funerals Why I became a funeral director Not all funeral directors are the same How to choose a funeral director DIY funerals Seeing the person who has died can be a profound and meaningful experience What really happens after someone has died? Why would I want to see someone after they’ve died? Allowing children to do what is right for them Why funerals really matter How to have a good funeral Funerals & COVID-19 Planning your own funeral Ask a funeral director anything A truly poetic ending Grief What is grief? Your life after their death – the things we want you to know about grief Growing around grief Grief SOS How to support a grieving friend What to say when you don’t know what to say When a partner dies Grief lasts a lifetime We need to talk How to talk about death and dying How to talk to children about death, dying and grief All that’s left Unsaid Words left unspoken Life & living Regret This could be the last time The essentials of self-care Kintsugi: emotional damage and repair Everything we’ve learned about life and living from working with death and dying Get involved with Life. Death. Whatever. The dictionary of death & dying Resources & recommended reading Acknowledgements Index About the authors

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Book SynopsisAs read on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week'Moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic' Melvyn Bragg'Thoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, Every Third Thought is beautiful' Kate Mosse In 1995, at the age of forty-two, Robert McCrum suffered a dramatic and near-fatal stroke. Since that life-changing event, McCrum has lived in the shadow of death, unavoidably aware of his own mortality. And now, in his sixties, he is noticing a change: his friends are joining him there. Death has become his contemporaries’ every third thought.And so, with the words of McCrum’s favourite authors as travel companions, Every Third Thought takes us on a journey towards death itself. This is a deeply personal book of reflection and conversation – with brain surgeons, psychologists, hospice workers and patients, writers and poets, and it confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with dying?Trade ReviewThoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, Every Third Thought is beautiful and - most of all - true -- Kate Mosse, author of LabyrinthEvery Third Thought is an important book, and one that brings death into the light, uncovering both the losses we have to endure, as well as the gifts we can receive if we are open to it. Profoundly moving and fascinating. It is a gem. -- Julia Samuel, author of Grief WorksAs an assemblage of great quotes and prompts for further reading, Every Third Thought rivals DJ Enright's anthology The Oxford Book of Death. McCrum adds striking metaphors of his own. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *A wry and reflective treatise on mortality . . . fascinating and paradoxically enjoyable -- Roger Lewis * The Times *We have to think about death, and talk about it, perhaps rather more than we do. And if that’s so, there can be no better guide than a wise, humane and battered-about writer like McCrum. He has thought deeply, talked widely, read voraciously and experienced much . . . by the time I had finished this book, I had a silly grin on my face. That was partly because it ends with a happy surprise, but more importantly because you cannot confront the meaning of death without a refreshed and more vivid understanding of the glory of being alive . . . As I closed it, having stared pretty steadily at extinction, I found myself encouraged and fortified. So, really, thank you, Robert. -- Andrew Marr * Mail on Sunday *I can't think of another writer who could display such learning and erudition with this lightness of touch. Robert McCrum seems to have read everything, but you never feel he's lecturing; rather, he is a delightful and amused companion. The subject of Every Third Thought is so serious, yet it's illuminated by such humanity and flashes of wit that the reader closes it feeling oddly comforted. Only a writer in total command of his subject could present all this so deftly. Every Third Thought is a constant source of wisdom and interest . . . a gem -- Cressida ConnollyMarvellous . . . Every Third Thought is a reminder of the shadows on the grass, even at this time of year; that we shouldn’t be afraid of them, that in time they will come to enfold us all . . . McCrum's book shows us that we should grab all the living moments and live in them, while we are here. * Scotsman *A wonderful book, so personal that it holds you in its grip -- Rabbi Julia NeubergerA jewel of a book: our most profound thoughts, gracefully shaped . . . thoughtful, humane and full of warmth -- David BodanisEvery Third Thought is simply stunning: a brilliant, wise, compassionate and consoling account of death and dying in a secular age. McCrum moves seamlessly from personal testimonies to medical case studies to recent developments in neuroscience. He asks profound philosophical questions about mortality, finitude and the unknown. A uniquely beautiful and significant book -- Joanna Kavenna, author of The Ice Museum Reading McCrum's book, with its jaunty, gentle, meandering style, is like going on a country ramble with an exquisitely knowledgeable yet modest friend, discussing the meaning of life. Although it's a slender work on a well-worn subject, it would be hard to find a more agreeable or erudite companion for the journey along the road towards life's inevitable dead end. * Literary Review *Both intensely personal and coolly objective . . . McCrum carries us with him on a tour d'horizon that is witty, companionable and compulsively readable. And in the final pages comes a twist to make the heart soar: evidence that however bleak, however short the time left, it is never too late to be surprised by joy -- Maggie Fergusson * Spectator *Engaging and honest... A narrative full of vigour, even (sometimes) black humour... It is like wandering around with a wise peer, eavesdropping on his conversations and enjoying his literary quotations. With the distinguished British neurologist Andrew Lees, he discusses the death-in-life that is Alzheimer’s disease and continues this theme with world-famous brain surgeon (and bestselling author of Do No Harm) Henry Marsh -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *A beautifully contemplative account of what it means to be dying, as we all are, in the midst of life . . . a deep and engaged set of questions and ruminations . . . Strangely, by pressing so hard into his subject, he has written a book that is lifted and lightened with affirmation of life. There is not a single story that he tells, no matter how grave, that is not made joyous by the fine attention of his writing and its judicious and intelligent use of quotation and literary and scientific material . . . In McCrum’s book, the quotations, poetry and information collated are part of the weave of its fabric. It’s why his story has such lift and reach. It is never just about Robert McCrum thinking about death. It becomes a continuation of a great discussion that has been taking place since the beginning of recorded culture. -- Kirsty Gunn * New Statesman *Robert McCrum's elegant series of essays captures that sense of inevitability and surprise that comes into any discussion of mortality . . . He is an impeccable stylist . . . The book is graciously about others as much as it is about himself . . . It is also a work of literary criticism, examining the ways in which our anxieties about ageing and dying have been represented in prose and poetry. McCrum is admirably eclectic in his tastes here . . . This eloquent book shows that it is not just philosophy that "teaches us to die well," but literature - and more than that, a common humanity. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *McCrum's investigative spirit takes hold and keeps pathos at bay . . . This is a brave book, which faces what most of us avoid thinking about, and it even manages a joke. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *An unflinching exploration of [McCrum's] own mortality and that of other people. It draws on personal experience, the testimony of friends, the works of great writers, and interviews with experts in medicine and psychotherapy, melded together in an engaging conversational style . . . McCrum’s bravery in staring into the abyss cannot be overestimated; reading his book inevitably brings moments of terror. But Every Third Thought has something positive to offer, too. The approach of death can reveal extraordinary reserves of courage and heighten people’s appreciation of the world around them. * Economist *And enthralling, wise and very necessary read * Radio Times *Moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic -- Melvyn Bragg, New Statesman, Books of the Year 2017Every Third Thought – part autobiography, part meditations on death, part interviews – is seasoned by telling references to a wide range of literature. It is moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic. -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman *McCrum writes with elegance and candour about the question of mortality salience. * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisThe preeminent meditation on plagues and pandemics from the Islamic world, now in English for the first timeA Penguin ClassicSix hundred years ago, the author of this landmark work of history and religious thought—an esteemed judge, poet, and scholar in Cairo—survived the bubonic plague, which took the lives of three of his children, not to mention tens of millions of others throughout the medieval world. Holding up an eerie mirror to our own time, he reflects on the origins of plagues—from those of the Prophet Muhammad’s era to the Black Death of his own—and what it means that such catastrophes could have been willed by God, while also chronicling the fear, isolation, scapegoating, economic tumult, political failures, and crises of faith that he lived through. But in considering the meaning of suffering and mass death, he also offers a message of radical hope. Weaving together accounts of evil jinn, religious stories, medical manualTrade Review“This is the first English-language edition of his work, deservedly bringing it to a wide new audience. . . . Having lost three of his daughters to the Black Death, [Ibn Hajar] reflects with empathy and grief on examples of plagues from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to his own. . . . At a time when many ruins of the coronavirus pandemic are yet to be rebuilt, Merits of the Plague helps us to place our experience of the disease in a longer arc of history.” —The Times Literary Supplement“Remarkable . . . A landmark work of history and religious thought . . . Surprisingly modern and has a lot to say to us in the era of coronavirus.” —History Unplugged Podcast“A valuable addition to our understanding of the pandemic and how people reacted to it . . . This book offers a much-needed perspective from the Islamic world.” —Medievalists.net“A unique, non-Western medieval perspective on the Black Death and pandemics in general.” —Jara News

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Book SynopsisHuman remains can answer all sorts of questions about our ancestors - what sort of diet they ate, what age they lived to, what sort of living conditions they experienced and how they died. The Neolithic is the earliest period from which significant numbers of human burials survive in Britain. This book looks at the history of the study of such burials and how new scientific techniques have massively expanded what we know about our Neolithic ancestors. As well as the treatment of the dead, issues such as health and subsistence are considered, along with evidence of conflict and also the extent to which the people of Neolithic Britain can be considered a distinct population. This is the only book specifically dedicated to human remains from the Neolithic and fills an important gap left by other books on the period.

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Book SynopsisAnthony Peake is a bestselling author, lecturer, broadcaster and leading thinker in the area of consciousness studies. His ideas apply scientific reasoning to some of the greatest mysteries of the universe, including what happens when we die. He is a member of the Society For Psychical Research (SPR) and his work has been peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Near Death Studies. He has written eleven books and been translated into nine languages.Dr Pascal Michael is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich in London in the UK. His PhD thesis focused on the comparative phenomenology of the psychedelic DMT and near-death experiences.

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Book SynopsisDeath comes for us all in the end. But it does not always come in a way you might expect. Throughout history there have been people who have suffered extraordinary, unusual, and downright weird demises. In Strange Ways to Die in History you will find out about the true stories behind unlikely stories of bizarre accidents, assassinations, and misadventures. Did a playwright really die from a tortoise being dropped on his head by an eagle? Why did an English vicar end up being eaten by lions? And what are the chances of fatality from falling into a toilet?Looking at the lives that came before the deaths reveals some of histories most fascinating individuals. Some of those examined are well known. Some are remembered only for the odd way they departed this life. Some have been forgotten entirely. Sometimes how a person dies, and how history has recorded the event, can tell us a lot about society and how we remember.This book uncovers eye-witnesses to the deaths described and contemporary

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Book SynopsisDuring a pandemic lockdown full of pyjama dance parties, life talks, and final goodbyes, a family helps a father die with dignity.In April 2020, journalist Mitchell Consky received bad news: his father was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer, with less than two months to live. Suddenly, he and his extended family many of them healthcare workers were tasked with reconciling the social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic with a family-based approach to end-of-life care. The result was a home hospice during the first lockdown. Suspended within the chaos of medication and treatments were dance parties, episodes of Tiger King, and his father's many deadpan jokes. Leaning into his journalistic intuitions, Mitchell interviewed his father daily, making audio recordings of final talks, emotional goodbyes, and the unexpected laughter that filled his father's final days. Serving as a catalyst for fatherly affection, these interviewTrade ReviewThis journey of a grown son letting his father go is meaningful for us all as we face grief and loss. Although a memoir about dying, there are elegantly written lessons about living: of being thankful for the simple moments; of finding joy despite overwhelming sorrow, and realizing they are compatible. Consky was fortunate to have had a father filled with such love and laughter. * Jennifer Dance, author of Gone but Still Here *America has Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Canada now has its own Mitch, Mitch Consky who has written Home Safe, a tribute to his father. Consky manages to convey deep love for his father who devoted all he had to his family. As you read it, you long to have the closeness and constant support that this father gave the children. * Cathy Gildiner, NYT bestselling author *An intimate, raw and honest look at what it was really like to grapple with end of life care and loss during unprecedented times. This amazingly hopeful book illuminates these unimaginable circumstances while reminding us that love, even in the face of darkness, brings so much light. * Liz Levine, author of Nobody Ever Talks About Anything But the End *In capturing the resilience, the philosophizing, and the joking around of family and friends, Consky’s heartfelt, tender memoir embraces the ultimate realization that dying is indeed part of living, especially for a young man losing his father before his eyes. * Bill Reynolds, professor of literary journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University *On the surface, this a memoir about a son watching his father’s brutal 2 ½ month descent from cancer diagnosis to death, during the dark days of the pandemic, no less. But Home Safeis really an intimate reflection on grief, loss and the burden of keeping memories alive. A must-read for anyone who wishes they had been able to spend just a little more time with a loved one in their final days. * André Picard, author of Neglected No More and Health columnist at The Globe and Mail *

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Book SynopsisAS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 'Start the Week' : 'very moving - brilliant and profound'"Brilliant - a grimly humorous yet humane account of the realities of growing old in the modern age." - Henry Marsh"A remarkably likeable guide to a grisly subject ... daunting, yet ultimately life-affirming" - Independent What is a good death? How would you choose to live your last few months? How do we best care for the rising tide of very elderly? This unusual and important book is a series of reflections on death in all its forms: the science of it, the medicine, the tragedy and the comedy. Dr David Jarrett draws on family stories and case histories from his thirty years of treating the old, demented and frail to try to find his own understanding of the end. Profound, provocative, strangely funny and astonishingly compelling, it is an impassioned plea that we start talking frankly and openly about death. He writes about all the conversations that we, our parents, our children, the medical community, our government and society as a whole should be having. And it is a call to arms for us to make radical changes to our perspective on 'the seventh age of man'.-More praise for 33 Meditations on Death:"This book will stay with you." - Derren Brown"Bursting with empathy, common sense and humour." - Professor Dame Sue BlackTrade ReviewBrilliant - a grimly humorous yet humane account of the realities of growing old in the modern age. Everybody over the age of 60 should read it and ponder their probable future. * Henry Marsh *It is striking how the candour of our public discourse fails when we get on to the subject of death, a significant and puzzling failure for it is the fate we all share. David Jarrett's 33 Meditations, the fruit of forty years of professional experience with people at the end of their lives, is not only timely and important, but hugely enjoyable. One of the most memorable books I've read recently. * The Revd Richard Coles *A remarkably likeable guide to a grisly subject ... daunting, yet ultimately life-affirming * Independent *Death doesn’t only touch the dying. This wonderfully enlightening book by a doctor who cares for the dying is a plea for all of us to consider now what a good death should look like and what we’d want for ourselves. Bursting with empathy, common sense and humour, would that we could all be so fortunate as to have the author at our bedside when the time comes. * Professor Dame Sue Black, author of All That Remains *Compelling reflections on the dignity of human life, and the emotional inevitability of its end. -- Professor Stephen Westaby

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Kudos to Dugdale’s The Lost Art of Dying for being honest, refreshing, and useful. As a physician who has experienced many deaths, she helps us think about the meaning of our lives and about how to have a good death. I recommend this book to all who are mortal." — Mary Pipher, author of Women Rowing North “In this profound and compassionate book about death and its nearness, Dugdale demystifies one of the essential mysteries of our time.” — Siddhartha Mukherjee, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene “Like Atul Gawande and Paul Kalanithi, Dugdale writes fluently about dying from clinical experience. What sets her book apart is that she writes wise words everyone needs to hear as they live. When I lay dying, I hope I will have a doctor like Dr. Dugdale at the bedside.” — Abraham Nussbaum, MD, author of The Finest Traditions of My Calling “I’m adding this book about dying to my collection of treasured guides to living well. Filling me with illuminating, compelling, and consoling hope, this book, more than any other I have read, reveals how to rediscover the lost art of dying. Read it. Then read it again and again.” — Raymond Barfield, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and Christian philosophy, Duke University "One of the most avoided questions in life is also one of the most important: what is it like to die? It's a question we will all encounter, no matter what our beliefs about the afterlife. And you will find no more compassionate and knowledgeable guide than Dr. Dugdale, who has accompanied many people on this journey. Her new book is a great gift to all of us who will die or face death, which is to say, all of us." — James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide and Jesus: A Pilgrimage "This illuminating and thought-provoking book will convince many readers to reexamine their assumptions about death and dying." — Publisher's Weekly (starred review) “Want a better life? Then think about your death, starting with Lydia Dugdale’s The Lost Art of Dying. Dugdale shows that death should be courageously confronted. In so doing, we not only conquer our fear, but also understand the reason for our lives.” — Arthur C. Brooks, author of Love Your Enemies and professor at the Harvard Kennedy School “Dugdale examines how we have surrendered to the medical machine while surfacing ways we can regain control of key decisions over our quality of life and death. Everyone must read this book, whether you are a health-care professional, a public-policy official, or just hoping to reach an advanced age.” — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean, Yale School of Management “In this important new book, Dugdale asks why it is so difficult for patients and families to accept terminal diagnoses and for all of us to recognize our finitude. The solution, Dugdale proposes, is for us to learn about dying now, as part of our living. And she is right.” — Victoria Sweet, MD, PhD, author of God's Hotel and Slow Medicine “Who would have thought that a book on dying could be so enlivening? But that is precisely Dugdale’s point: if we do not face our deaths, they destroy us before they have happened. A lucid, learned, humane, and utterly necessary book.” — Christian Wiman, author of My Bright Abyss Lydia Dugdale’s The Lost Art of Dying proves that there is often nothing more relevant to our present cultural moment than the wisdom of the past--in this instance, on the subject of how to face death. The book is based on a great deal of painstaking scholarship but is written in the most accessible style. It will not only be of enormous help to people facing their own death or the death of a loved one, but also to professionals in various fields who attend the dying. — Timothy Keller, NYT Bestselling Author, Pastor Emeritus, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City. “In this extraordinary book Dugdale applies both her clinical experience and her deep insights into a centuries-old approach to help dying patients live well and die well. Although I was an early student of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Dugdale’s book has provided me with new insights that I will apply immediately.” — Dr. Mark Siegler, Lindy Bergman Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Chicago and coauthor of Clinical Ethics “Sensitive, informed by clinical experience, rich in the wisdom of the past, L. S. Dugdale has written a riveting book about life’s hardest truth—death. A must read for all of us as we face our mortality.” — R. R. Reno, editor of First Things “The Lost Art of Dying brilliantly combines medical experience and humanistic tradition to show not only how we should prepare for death and why we must, but also that it is an essential part of the art of living well.” — James Rhodes, PhD, professor emeritus of Medieval Studies at Southern Connecticut State University Lydia Dugdale provides wise guidance, compelling stories, and fascinating historical background to help us rediscover the lost art of dying. She does so from the perspective of a caring physician, but also as a fellow pilgrim on the path of life. Everyone who lives will die someday, yet too few consider what it means to “die well.” This book can help to close that gap. It does so with style and grace. — Rita Ferrone, contributing writer and columnist, Commonweal magazine “Dugdale patiently and respectfully unveils the reality that many in our world die poorly. Drawing on Medieval wisdom on dying well, she teases out lessons for today. Anyone who deals with the dying--sooner or later, don't we all?--will profit enormously from this insightful and compassionate book.” — D. A. Carson, author of Praying with Paul "In this fascinating, timely, and important book Dugdale draws us into the transformative wisdom of the art of dying. In so doing she reimagines a world where death is not simply an oppressive shadow to be avoided but an important step on the road to life in all its fullness." — John Swinton, author of Dementia: Living In the Memories of God A physician draws wisdom from a medieval text to transform our thoughts and fears about dying. Balancing her clinical experience with an openly holistic mindfulness, Dugdale thoughtfully expands on the relevant lessons of ars moriendi (“the art of dying”) . . . A wise and reassuring guide for confronting death. — Kirkus “Dugdale guides readers toward taking a holistic approach to this final stage by accepting the finitude of life, developing meaningful rituals, and involving their communities in end-of-life care. The overarching theme is that to die well, one must live well. . . . A readable and inspiring manual.” — Library Journal "At this fraught moment, Dugdale's work could not feel more uncanny and necessary." — Yale Divinity School News ”Read this book before you need it. Read it for yourself and to share with people in your community who can’t read it. This wisdom should never again be lost or forgotten.” — The Public Discourse “This insightful book accurately describes the widespread dysfunction that occurs when we are distracted from the consideration of our own mortality.” — Mercatornet “One day that last breath will occur. Are we prepared? Are you? Reading Dugdale’s book becomes therapeutic and nurturing as the readers are challenged by prying questions, followed by reasoned reflection. A beautiful book—one of the few I would purchase for a friend and read again.” — Pneuma “In its exploration of dying and how it can go well or poorly, her book is a success and much-needed.” — Journal of Palliative Medicine

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Book SynopsisDenial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The five stages of grief, first formulated in this hugely influential work forty years ago, are now part of our common understanding of bereavement. The five stages were first identified by Elisabeth KÃbler-Ross in her work with dying patients at the University of Chicago and were considered phases that all or most people went through, when faced with the prospect of their own death. They are now often accepted as a response to any major life change. However, in spite of these terms being in general use, the subject of death is still surrounded by conventional attitudes and reticence that offer only fragile comfort because they evade the real issues. This groundbreaking book is still relevant â giving a voice to dying people and exploring what impending death means to them, often in their own words. People speak about their experience of dying, their relief in expressing their fear and anger and being able to move forward to a state of acceptance and peace.Ideal for all those with an interest in bereavement or the five stages of grief, this book contains a new extended introduction from Professor Allan Kellehear. This additional chapter re-examines On Death and Dying looking at how it has influenced contemporary thought and practice.Trade ReviewPraise for On Death and Dying:'This book is important reading for nurses, doctors, clergy, and others whose work brings them into contact with the dying. It is also recommended to any reader who refuses to believe that the best way to deal with fear is to run away.' – Colin Murray Parkes, from the foreword‘All those involved in social work, be they students, practitioners, or teachers should read it; for it concerns loss, and assisting people to deal with losses of one kind or another is the social worker's commonest task. Here is a book that helps them to do this with sensitivity, insight and compassion.' – British Journal of Social Work‘This is a book to own but every library should have a copy and every medical and nursing syllabus a place for discussion of death and dying with this as a textbook.’ – Nursing TimesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. On the Fear of Death 2. Attitudes Towards Death and Dying 3. First Stage: Denial and Isolation 4. Second Stage: Anger 5. Third Stage: Bargaining 6. Forth Stage: Depression 7. Fifth Stage: Acceptance 8. Hope 9. The Patient’s Family 10. Some Interviews with Terminally Ill Patients 11. Reactions to the Seminar on Death and Dying 12. Therapy with the Terminally Ill

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate death compendium, featuring the world's most extraordinary artistic and ethnographic objects concerned with mortality, together with text by expert contributors.Trade Review'A delightfully dark compendium' - The EconomistTable of Contents1. The Art of Dying • 2. Examining the Dead • 3. Memorialising the Dead • 4. The Personification of Death • 5. Symbolising Death • 6. Death as Amusement • 7. The Dead After Life

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Book SynopsisA heartbreaking grief memoir, One Thousand Days and One Cup of Tea uncovers the process of healing from a personal and psychological view, written by a bereaved clinical psychologist Vanessa's husband Paul died suddenly and tragically on their regular Sunday morning swim. This is a raw narrative of how she found a way to move forward for her teenage children, their dilapidated home and the patients who all need her. Beautifully written and honestly relayed, the book dives into the aftermath of death, the painful reminders, the heartwarming moments and how to endure the pain of loss. 'This book is about a period of great loss in my life, a time when the tables were completely turned on me. I was a qualified therapist who suddenly found myself needing psychological therapy. I was a trained researcher who became my own research subject, as I tried to make sense of what was happening to me. I was an experienced manager who now struggled to manage the events taking place in my own life. Yet, throughout all this turmoil, my patients were always there, in the background, reminding me that there are many different ways to deal with loss and trauma and search for a way forwards.' Vanessa Moore  

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Book SynopsisA GUARDIAN, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A superb book' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'An empowering story of human ingenuity' Economist 'Full of curious facts' The Times Causes of death have changed irrevocably across time. In the course of a few centuries we have gone from a world where disease or violence were likely to strike anyone at any age, and where famine could be just one bad harvest away, to one where in many countries excess food is more of a problem than a lack of it. Why have the reasons we die changed so much? How is it that a century ago people died mainly from infectious disease, while today the leading causes of death in industrialised nations are heart disease and stroke? And what do changing causes of death reveal about how previous generations have lived? University of Manchester Professor Andrew Doig provides an eye-opening portrait of death throughout history, looking at particular causes – from infectious disease to genetic disease, violence to diet – who they affected, and the people who made it possible to overcome them. Along the way we hear about the long and torturous story of the discovery of vitamin C and its role in preventing scurvy; the Irish immigrant who opened the first washhouse for the poor of Liverpool, and in so doing educated the public on the importance of cleanliness in combating disease; and the Church of England curate who, finding his new church equipped with a telephone, started the Samaritans to assist those in emotional distress. This Mortal Coil is a thrilling story of growing medical knowledge and social organisation, of achievement and, looking to the future, of promise.Trade ReviewYou might expect a book on this morbid theme to be forbidding or sombre. This one is neither. Instead Mr Doig, a biochemist at the University of Manchester, tells an empowering story of human ingenuity * Economist *Surprisingly upbeat . . . The chapters on plague are the most interesting in the book, perhaps because they are so resonant and show how lucky we are to live in the age of the vaccine . . . Each chapter looks at a cause of death, ranging from scurvy to car safety, alcoholism to yellow fever . . . Full of curious facts . . . Although the book is about death, Doig is optimistic. Look at how life expectancy has soared across the world and infant mortality rates have plummeted * The Times *An absorbing read . . . A gripping and fascinating book; informative and seasoned with dry humour * Mail on Sunday *Told in five acts like a Shakespearean tragedy, Andrew Doig’s book considers our vulnerabilities and vices, from typhoid to tobacco . . . A compelling story that is made admirably accessible * Financial Times *Fascinating, clear-eyed . . . Woven through are a series of brilliant anecdotes of individual experiments, inventions and lethal misfortunes . . . Doig’s attention to detail, personable style and clear explanations make the book easily accessible . . . The obvious beauty of This Mortal Coil is that in being a history of death, it is also a history of life, and a brilliant, fascinating one at that * Scotsman *An utterly fascinating history of death, this masterful volume traces changes in the causes of mortality over the centuries -- WaterstonesRather than being a depressing read, the book actually gives a wonderful long-term perspective on our current situation, discussing plagues and famines of the past, living conditions and social organisation, and even looking at how causes of death might change in the future . . . This intriguing and detailed discussion of death and its causes provides a bedrock of context to look at how we might tackle mortality going forward . . . Oddly life-affirming * Big Issue *From the black death to small pox, Andrew Doig’s This Mortal Coil reminds us that some of humankind’s most miraculous innovations – including vaccines, statistics and gene sequencing – arose from society’s attempts to thwart death . . . It’s hard to imagine a book with more relevant insights into how societies fail and succeed when navigating threats to life * City AM *This is a book that deserves a wide and appreciative audience * Oldie *The way we humans have died has changed profoundly over history: from famine and pestilence, to modern lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In this gripping book, Andrew Doig explores the fascinating biology of our own mortality and, crucially, what death can teach us about life -- Prof. Lewis Dartnell, author of ORIGINS: HOW THE EARTH SHAPED HUMAN HISTORYWry, insightful and optimistic, This Mortal Coil brings a compassionate yet amused eye to one of the last great taboos. Essential reading for us all -- Matthew Cobb, Baillie Gifford Prize-shortlisted author of THE IDEA OF THE BRAINAndrew Doig tackles the complex and unsettling history of mortality with matter of fact and clarity but also with tenderness and humanity. This is a remarkable debut interspersing history with science to create a mille feuille of what it means to be human -- Helen Carr, author of THE RED PRINCE and WHAT IS HISTORY, NOW?This is a wonderful book: a history of life expectancy, of disease, of death, and of medicine all rolled up into one. An exceptional instance of a book with lots of statistics which is throughout an enthralling read. For anyone who wants to understand how we have come to live so long, and what we are likely to die of, this is a must read – and, since birth and death are the only things we all have in common, no subject could be more important to understand who we are and what will become of us -- David WoottonThe story of how we die is deeply entwined with all of science, technology, economics, global health, sociology and human behaviour – in other words, pretty much everything. Which amounts to a book that is profound and original -- Daniel M. Davis, author of THE BEAUTIFUL CURE and THE SECRET BODYBig history meets biology in this meticulous chronicle of how death has shaped us, and how we have shaped it. Doig illuminates the historical and scientific idiosyncrasies behind our most universal experience explaining how, by trading plants and plagues, discovering continents and life-saving drugs, our collective past has determined our individual futures. If you're expecting a fascinating insight into why we die, This Mortal Coil delivers – but you'll also get an eye-opening account of how we've lived -- Andrew Steele, author of AGELESSThe most fascinating book I’ve read in a long time. As much about how we live as how we die -- Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRLIn this detailed exploration of the many different ways in which human life can end, Andrew Doig takes us on a killer ride from the earliest systematic records of death, through the tremendous toll infection has had over history, to the ways in which we kill ourselves and others through drugs, pollution and motor vehicles. If you are dying to know how we die, this is the book for you -- John Tregoning, author of INFECTIOUS

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Book Synopsis'I have yet to come away from reading [Bering's] work and not feel considerably better informed than I was minutes before' (Forbes)__________________This penetrating analysis aims to demystify a subject that knows no cultural or demographic boundaries.Why do people want to kill themselves? Despite the prevalence of suicide in the developed world, it's a question most of us fail to ask. On hearing news of a suicide we are devastated, but overwhelmingly we feel disbelief.In A Very Human Ending, research psychologist Jesse Bering lifts the lid on this taboo subject, examining the suicidal mindset from the inside out to reveal the subtle tricks the mind can play when we're easy emotional prey. In raising challenging questions Bering tests our contradictory superstitions about the act itself. Combining cutting-edge research with investigative journalism and first-person testimony, Bering also addresses the history of suicide and its evolutionary inheritance to offer a personal, accessible, yet scientifically sound examination of why we are the only species on earth that deliberately ends its own life.Trade ReviewJesse Bering asks the questions no one else dares, he tells truths that others shy away from, and he writes the books that I wish I had written. To me, he is everything a great scientist and communicator should be. Suicide may be an uncomfortable subject yet the escalating numbers of people who take their lives each year means we must make it’s unravelling our priority. I have no doubt this book will have a profound impact on all who read it, and add considerably to our understanding of that self-willed oblivion, whether it lies palpably just beneath our own skin, or the skins of those we love. But perhaps most importantly of all it will help dispel the stigma and shame that so perniciously clings to all suicides. -- Dr Christian JessenA brave and important exploration of a subject we urgently need to demystify. It will change every reader for the better. -- Derren BrownBering's book touches upon some deep questions relevant to all of us. Indeed, it is as much about what makes us uniquely human as it is about suicide. A Very Human Ending transcends its own objectives. It is a fascinating, thoughtful, unflinching meditation on one of the most intriguing and curious aspects of the human condition. -- Dr Frank Tallis, clinical psychologist * Evening Standard *I'm not surprised that a book on suicide would be very personal, but I didn’t expect it to be so damn funny. It's also engaging, thoughtful, and sensitive – although Bering is certainly irreverent, there is a real appreciation of how painful and difficult this topic can be. This is a book for scholars and for a general audience, but it is also entirely suitable for people whose lives have been touched by the suicide of someone they loved. * Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and author of Against Empathy *I have yet to come away from reading [Bering’s] work and not feel considerably better informed than I was just minutes before * Forbes *

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BEST-SELLER. Read the incredible account of one woman's near-death experience and discover an enlightening perspective on life, freedom, consciousness, and purpose.When Anke Evertz is suddenly engulfed in flames in front of her fireplace, she thinks she's going to die. She knows that the worst is about to happen and there's nothing she can do to stop it. But instead of panicking, a deep serenity washes over her. What happens next is astounding.Anke leaves her burning body and watches from the outside as she's rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma for nine days. Her relatives and doctors fear the worst. What they don't know is that Anke is on the most miraculous journey of her life. In spiritual worlds, beyond time and space, she's being given the answers to all of her questions.Nine Days of Eternity is an incredible account of an almost unimaginable adventure between life and death, and a wake-up call for everyone who wants to live a fulfilled and connected life. Through her story, Anke will show you how to recognize your boundless creative power, understand your divine nature and true purpose, and see every day as a miracle.

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Book SynopsisLonely Planet explores over 30 customs around death, grief and rebirth in cultures and communities around the world and highlights some of the lessons we can all learn from them. With first-person narratives, locals tell the stories of their culture's customs in their own voices. Photography and illustration brings the fascinating pages to life.Through such topics as the tangihanga mourning tradition of New Zealand's Maori people, Irish wakes and the annual Day of the Dead across Mexico, this book explores what it means to mourn loved ones. It also covers some of the funeral traditions of communities around the world, including Tibetan sky burials, the cremation ghats of Varanasi, India, and Ghana's fantasy coffins. Special focus falls on thought-provoking places to visit, for example catacombs, magnificent cemeteries, and festivals of the dead, with details of how to travel and experience some of these customs. Inside Lonely Planet's Guide to Death, Grief and Rebirth:- More than 30 in-depth accounts of customs around death, grief and rebirth, including spotlights on key aspects and details of how to witness some of the events- Special spreads on sites around the world to visit- Vibrant illustrations and photography to explain the customs in a respectful manner- First-person accounts of attending New Orleans' jazz funerals, the Day of the Dead and other occasions- Explanations of what insights and lessons readers may gain from some customsLonely Planet's Guide to Death,Grief and Rebirth is a unique and illuminating book about the rituals and customs people around the world perform in order to come to terms with the inevitable loss of loved ones. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world’s number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Bestseller A Wall Street Journal Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year A New Statesman Book to Read From economist Anne Case and Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton, a groundbreaking account of howTrade Review"Winner of the Silver Medal in Business Commentary, Axiom Business Book Awards"

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Book Synopsis'A beloved genius of storytelling and illustration' ObserverIn his customary pose as the grumpiest of grumpy old men, Raymond Briggs contemplates old age and death... and doesn't like them much. Illustrated with Briggs's inimitable pencil drawings, Time for Lights Out is a collection of short pieces, some funny, some melancholy, some remembering his wife who died young, others about the joy of grandchildren, of walking the dog... He looks back at his schooldays and his time as an evacuee during the war, and remembers his parents and the house in which he grew up. But most, like this one, are about his home in Sussex: Looking round this house, What will they say, The future ghosts? There must have been Some barmy old bloke here, Long-haired, artsy-fartsy type, Did pictures for kiddy books Or some such tripe. You should have seen the stuff He stuck up in that attic! Snowman this and snowman that, Tons and tons of tat.Trade ReviewA mesmerising jumble of jokes, drawings and elderly gripes… All human life – and death – is here in this lucky dip of memories and fears, irritations and idle thoughts… [Time For Lights Out] has black humour galore…and, as always, Briggs’s drawings have a touch of magic about them, conjuring human beings and their foibles out of a few precious lines. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *[Time for Lights Out is] direct and personal…on the tragi-comedy of growing old. [Briggs] looks on ageing with a beady but sympathetic eye…and mordant humour all the way through… there are plenty of excellent jokes in this book. -- Nicholas Tucker * The Times *Many congratulations to The Oldie's Raymond Briggs on his elegiac new book, Time for Lights Out. The great author and illustrator takes a funny, sombre, bittersweet approach to old age, with fond thoughts of his grandchildren, parents, childhood and his partner Liz. The book is illustrated with his characteristic understanding of real life... Bliss. * The Oldie *A beloved genius of storytelling and illustration. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer, *Graphic Novel of the Month* *

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