Talking about death won’t kill you. Yet in today’s world, death remains one of our greatest taboos. As religion declines and rituals fade, we are left without guidance for one of life’s only certainties. This book is your handbook for death in the 21st century – a compassionate, practical and surprisingly hopeful guide to understanding mortality.

From cremation to green burials, from grieving a pet to navigating tricky memorial etiquette, anthropologist and death scholar Hannah Gould answers the questions most of us are too afraid to ask:
– Do I really get my loved one’s ashes back from the crematorium?
– Can I turn into a tree when I die?
– How do I talk to my parents about end-of-life planning?
– Should I attend my ex’s dad’s funeral?
– Will I ever stop crying over my dog?

As we enter an era of ‘peak death’, this book challenges us to stop avoiding the inevitable and instead embrace it as part of a good life. Honest, witty and deeply reassuring, Gould invites readers to confront mortality not with fear, but with curiosity and courage.

If you have ever wondered about alternative funerals, modern grief, sustainable burial options or simply how to begin the conversation about death, this is the book you’ve been waiting for.