How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life

The ancient Roman philosopher, Seneca (c.4BC-65 AD), studied death extensively. He wrote and posited about the subject constantly, but never finished a completed text. Translated and curated by James S. Romm, How to Die is a compilation of Seneca's meditations on death and dying. Seneca believed that life was just the journey we are all on, headed for death, and that one has to rehearse for death throughout the journey. In this provocatively written book, he speaks frankly about the need to accept the inevitable, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death as a final rite of passage in a good life. How to Die also includes an introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue dedicated to Tacitus's description of Seneca's suicide.