Death and Grieving
We all do it, so we may as well do it with intention, compassion, and care for those around us. These books point the way to demystifying death and helping us thoughtfully prepare for the end of our lives and grieve the loss of those we love.
Unfuck Your Grief: Using Science to Heal Yourself and Support Others
When we lose someone or something close to us—a loved person or animal, a relationship, our health, our dream, our…
Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying
One of the few certainties in life is, well, death. And wow are there a lot of practical details and logistical…
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death
Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care…
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
A surprisingly affirming and hopeful book about what it's like to die under capitalism. Gawande draws on his experience…
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Mortician and death-positivity activist Caitlin Doughty tackles children's questions about death in this book of…
Death of You: A Book for Anyone Who Might Not Live Forever
You might not think death pertains to you, but the shocking truth is...everybody dies! This book can help you deal with…
The Day We Lost Pet
Part creation myth, part fairy tale, The Day We Lost Pet provides kids and their adults a unique, nonreligious way to…
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty--a twenty-something with a degree in medieval…
![How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life [SUNSET]](/previews/how-to-die.jpg)
How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life [SUNSET]
The ancient Roman philosopher, Seneca (c.4BC-65 AD), studied death extensively. He wrote and posited about the subject…
Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed
Comedian Patton Oswalt puts it well: "I’ve never read something so cynical that’s also so life-affirming." For the…
Do I Have to Wear Black to a Funeral?: 112 Etiquette Guidelines for the New Rules of Death
This book answers every question a funeral goer might need answered, from what to give as a condolence gift to what to…
A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death
“There is nothing wrong with you for dying,” hospice physician B.J. Miller and journalist and caregiver Shoshana…
Morbid Magic: Death, Spirituality, and Culture from Around the World
Death is one of the biggest mysteries; no wonder our understanding of it is so tied up with magic, religion, and…
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial
Modern changes in the way we understand medicine and interact with the health care system have changed the way we…
Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying
A gorgeous, illustrated book about coming to terms with death. We all die, and for most of us that's a terrifying…
The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade
Meditations on death by poet and small town funeral director Thomas Lynch. This unique collection of essays gently,…
The Undying: Pain, vulnerability, mortality, medicine, art, time, dreams, data, exhaustion, cancer, and care
Right after her 41st birthday, poet Anne Boyer was diagnosed with a highly aggressive cancer. In this harrowing memoir…
Death and the Afterlife: A Chronological Journey, from Cremation to Quantum Resurrection
Throughout history, the nature and mystery of death has captivated artists, scientists, philosophers, physicians, and…
The End of Something Wonderful: A Practical Guide to a Backyard Funeral
We don't want to think about the transition of something wonderful into something dead, yet most pets will make that…
Famous Last Words: Fond Farewells, Deathbed Diatribes, and Exclamations Upon Expiration
Learn about the last utterances of writers, philosophers, athletes, kings and queens, movie stars, politicians, and…
The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses
Modern photography mixed with historical images and representations of death through the eyes of the Paris catacombs as…
The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End
If you've ever found yourself in the weeds of a macabre Wikipedia spiral, clicking such links as "last rites" and…
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
A combination of travel writing, memoir and science, Michael Pollan's newest book dives not into food, but into the…
Getting Grief Right: Finding Your Story of Love in the Sorrow of Loss
When Patrick O'Malley lost his infant son, the grief took him full force and challenged everything he'd ever learned…
Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome.
Grief is hard, but it's hardest when it feels like you're the only one. In this empathetic collection, read about a…
Resilient Grieving: Finding Strength and Embracing Life After a Loss That Changes Everything
How do you grieve an inconceivable loss, but still go on to live your best life? Lucy Hone's book teaches us to honor…
Rebellious Mourning: The Collective Work of Grief
We can bear almost anything when it is worked through collectively. Grief is generally thought of as something personal…
Cycletherapy: Grief and Healing on Two Wheels
Can you pedal your way through everything life throws at you? Taking on the bicycle as a means of making sense of life…
Cats I've Known: On Love, Loss, and Being Graciously Ignored
From deep friendships to brief encounters, this is the story of the cats in Katie Haegele's life, or rather the story of…
White Elephants: Yard Sales, Relationships, and Finding What Was Missing
White elephants are the odd, old, and discarded things that end up at yard sales and flea markets—and Katie Haegele…
Sad House: Parenting, Grief, and Creativity in the Coronavirus Crisis
There’s no guidebook for parenting during a pandemic. Sheltering at home means being yourself in front of your kids,…
Why Smart Teens Hurt: Helping Adolescents Cope with the Consequences of Intelligence
In this detailed and scientific exploration of teenage psychology, author Eric Maisel, PhD helps the reader understand…
Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19
A collection of essays, poems, and interviews about love, grief, and comfort during the pandemic. With almost twenty…