Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

Pensées

by Blaise Pascal

Publication year 1670

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Apathy, Death

Tags Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Christian, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

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Phineas Gage

by John Fleischman

Publication year 2002

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Disability, Death, The Past, Science & Technology

Tags Children`s Literature, Science & Nature, World History, Psychology, Health

John Fleischman’s Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science (2002) is a children’s narrative nonfiction book. It features biography, historical medicine, and introductory neuroscience. Fleischman tells the story of an 1848 railroad accident in which a man, Phineas Gage, survived after a large tamping iron went through his skull. Fleischman explains how physicians and researchers have used the case to debate how the brain functions. He illustrates the way evidence, myths, and... Read Phineas Gage Summary

Pincher Martin

by William Golding

Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Appearance & Reality

Tags Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Existentialism, British Literature, World History, Fantasy

Pincher Martin is a novel by British author William Golding, first published in 1956. Set during World War II, it tells the story of a Royal Navy lieutenant named Christopher Hadley Martin who washes up on an inhospitable islet after his ship sinks. Though nominally a survival story, the book primarily concerns Martin’s spiritual and metaphysical journey as he struggles to maintain his sanity while awaiting rescue.This study guide refers to the 2013 edition published... Read Pincher Martin Summary

Planet Earth Is Blue

by Nicole Panteleakos

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Joy, Memory, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Space, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Education, Beauty, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability

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Playground

by Richard Powers

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Conflict, Perseverance, Masculinity, Death, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Wins & Losses

Tags Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Please Look After Mom

by Kyung-Sook Shin

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Death

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Magical Realism, Health, Asian History, Gender & Feminism, Parenting, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

Translated from the Korean by Chi-young Kim, Please Look After Mom (2008) by Kyung-sook Shin is an international work of best-selling fiction. When 69-year-old So-nyo Park goes missing one Saturday outside Seoul Station, her disappearance sets in motion a desperate search not only for where So-nyo might be but for who So-nyo was to her shocked and confused family members. One by one, So-nyo’s family comes to terms with the fact that they didn’t know... Read Please Look After Mom Summary

Pony

by R. J. Palacio

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Family, Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Action & Adventure

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Pop

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Memory, Nostalgia, Disability, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports

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Prey

by Michael Crichton

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Family, Good & Evil, Death

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

Introduction Prey is a 2002 science-fiction novel by Michael Crichton. Like his more popular novels in the Jurassic Park series, Prey employs the misuse of technology—and the hubris of opportunistic scientists—to pit his characters against a threat. In this case, the danger comes in the form of nanobots, microscopic agents that are rapidly evolving to destroy the people in a Nevada molecular fabrication lab. This guide uses the 2009 HarperCollins eBook edition of Prey. Content... Read Prey Summary

Private Peaceful

by Michael Morpurgo

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Siblings, Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Military & War, World War I

Private Peaceful (2003) is a historical fiction novel by English author Michael Morpurgo. The story revolves around the reminiscences of Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful, a young World War I soldier who reflects on his upbringing in rural England. Thomas bridges the past and present while awaiting the execution of his older brother, Charlie, who faces charges of cowardice.Other works by this author include War Horse, The Butterfly Lion, and An Elephant in the Garden.This guide refers to... Read Private Peaceful Summary

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife

by Eben Alexander

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Love, Memory, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Space, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fate, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Health, Science & Nature, Biography

Dr. Eben Alexander’s 2012 memoir, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, documents his near-death experience (NDE) while in a coma resulting from a rare bacterial infection. As an academic neurosurgeon with a materialist worldview, Alexander did not believe in an afterlife. The book details how his NDE forced him to reconcile his scientific training with what he now considered proof of a reality beyond the physical world. The memoir explores several themes:... Read Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife Summary