Death: The Great Mystery of Life

From the burial rites of the earliest humans to the current price of freezing one’s dead body, this engaging study confronts the mystery of death, leaving no question unanswered. In Death, Herbie Brennan dissects the biological processes by which people die, delving into the history of plagues, wars, and natural disasters. This fearless exploration also goes beyond the moment of physical death to unravel the mysteries of the afterlife, with chapters on ghosts and near-death experiences. Clear and informative, this book presents a wide array of research, inviting readers to learn the likely causes of death and telling them what to expect in the process. Brennan turns the most frightening concepts into comforting revelations and devotes a good portion of the book to “the good news”—the history of the afterlife, the tranquillity of near-death experiences, and how scientific advances are increasing our chances of cheating death. Traveling the world, Brennan reveals the surprising similarities and differences in cultural manifestations of this universal concept. Brennan also explores out-of-body experiences, documented radio communication with the deceased, and telepathy. The result is a comprehensive account from multiple perspectives that is captivating, mysterious, and wonderfully reassuring about this most feared of human experiences.