All of Us : Americans Talk about the Meaning of Death [first edition]

Tell me how you die and I will tell you who you are. It's an ancient adage, oft-repeated and profoundly true. When we talk about death, we are talking about a great many other things -- our longings, our fears, our sense of identity, perhaps even what we want from life. Even as Supreme Court cases are argued and suicide machines devised, as debates rage in the press on long-term care costs and terminal management, another, vastly more important dialogue is also taking place. And that dialogue reflects deeper feelings and beliefs, combining ancient knowledge and new science. Sooner or later everybody dies, after all. Could death be different than it is for most people now? Could it be better?In Patricia Anderson's illuminating collection of interviews, she examines this universal subject with insight, tenderness, even humor. Here are over sixty American voices -- from gang kids to film makers, Native American shamans to robotics engineers -- expressing their beliefs about our only true common bond. Some are people in the public eye, like author Isabel Allende, performance artist Laurie Anderson, and physician Andrew Weil. Others are more private citizens. But all of them eloquently reveal a rich variety of experiences, feelings, and beliefs about death. Vital, life-affirming, and moving, this vivid exploration is a treasury of wisdom and insight, guiding us as we bury our elders, raise our kids, and move on down the line.