Thoughtful observations based on a lifetime wrestling with the inevitability of death.
For as long as humans have been putting words on the page, we have been writing about death. More precisely, we have been obsessed with improving health, prolonging life, and finding that elusive elixir that might grant immortality. Yet death, like religion or politics, is something we rarely mention in casual conversation. Why is that? Does it unsettle us? Catch us unprepared? Or simply force us to face a truth guaranteed from the moment we’re born? A master at lightening this heavy topic, Liz Scott, Ph.D., uses her wit and wisdom to help audiences stare death in the face without flinching. Well, maybe there is a little flinching! You’re Going to Die But Not Me demystifies this universal experience through history, science, religion, language, personal stories, and poignant anecdotes. Readers finish with a better sense of everything from post-mortem options (spoiler alert: body farms won’t rank well) to working toward a happy death.
With a disarmingly candid spirit, Liz Scott owns the insecurities and regrets so many readers share. Mistakes as a young parent? Check. As a daughter? Absolutely. But at the heart of it all, she confronts difficult questions of mortality without bluster, arrogance, or judgment. Her words read like a grounded, honest woman addressing anyone who has ever paused to consider death. One refreshing example is her comparison of the world’s major religions. The author breaks down viewpoints on death and offers a straightforward take on whether any of those beliefs are compatible with her pragmatic nature. Her notes on Dylan Thomas’ most famous poem are spot-on, mirroring how our own early impressions might have changed over time. And Scott’s musing on what it takes to lead a meaningful life? There are no right or wrongs here, just thoughtful observations based on a lifetime wrestling with the inevitability of death.
If you’ve ever paused before adopting a puppy, worried it might outlive you, then this book is for you. If you can no longer count on one hand the number of dear friends you’ve lost, and you’re painfully aware that your own turn is inching closer, then this book is for you. And if you’re impressed or, at the very least, baffled by those who “seem so cavalier and equanimous about their own mortality,” then this no-nonsense book is definitely for you! As far from aloof as one can get, Liz Scott gets comfortable with her death discomfort by considering the work of ancient philosophers, modern thinkers, death doulas, and even psychics. Through this exposure therapy, her words have a calming effect, not enough to make us welcome our end, but more than enough to alter our present. It might seem in poor taste to describe a book on mortality as fun, but You’re Going to Die But Not Me by Liz Scott, Ph.D., might be the most enjoyable rabbit hole on death you’ll ever go down.
