Overview

Our love of life makes the inevitability of death very difficult to accept. Death is a comprehensive examination of that inevitable and universal human experience. To better our understanding of death--and so perhaps fear it less--the book explains the biological processes and the different causes of death, and examines the human perceptions of death throughout history and across cultures. Death is abundantly illustrated with masterpieces of art, paintings and sculptures and their representations of death, as well as abundant diagrams that explain the science of death. It methodically explores the biological limits of life, the rituals of death and describes the events surrounding the loss of life, using the most current research and medical analyses. Chapters cover diverse topics associated with death. They include: Consciousness and the soulHow the body diesTerminal illness and dying slowlyMethods of deathPoisons, deadly animals and plantsFlu pandemics, the new virusesUnsanitary conditions and deadly diseasesMurder and executionEuthanasia and ethicsCreatures from beyond the graveViolent and dramatic deathsCheating death. Death is sprinkled generously with humor and the wisdom of the great thinkers. Reflecting on our philosophical, scientific and spiritual understanding of death, it speaks to our visceral fears and allows us to better appreciate life.

Full Product Details

9781336033665

Table of Contents

Reviews

Well-written and uplifting... a beautiful book dense with illustrations and photographs none of which sensationalizes or is apt to offend.--Ted St. Godard Winnipeg Free Press (12/08/2012)

Author Information

Richard Beliveau is a professor of biochemistry at the University of Quebec, where he conducts research in the prevention and treatment of cancer. He is also a research fellow in neurosurgery at Notre-Dame Hospital, professor of surgery and physiology at the University of Montreal, and research associate at the Center for Cancer Prevention at McGill University. Denis Gingras is a researcher specializing in oncology at the University of Quebec at Montreal. They are co-authors of Foods That Fight Cancer and Cooking with Foods That Fight Cancer.

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