The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
Knopf - Knopf
Release date: 2008-02-05
Hardcover
Author: David Shields
Biography: general, Death & dying, American Literature (General), Family, Biography & Autobiography, Biography / Autobiography, English, Biography/Autobiography, USA, Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs, Personal Memoirs, Eldercare, 20th century, Authors, American, Biography, Family relationships, Fathers and sons, United States
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The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
Date undefinedI really believe that everyone is afraid to die, whether or not they actually admit it. As the author so correctly says, young children and teens really believe they are immortal, even though they understand, to a degree, the concept of death. To them, death is something that happens to "other people". Steven Wright, the comedian perhaps said it best when he opined "I intend to live forever; so far so good!" Or perhaps Woody Allen, who said: "I'm not afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens!" This extremely well-written book takes us from birth to death, and hits all of the stops in between. It explains in great detail why and how our bodies break down so that we can't live forever, and perhaps not even beyond the age of 125, which extremely few people ever reach anyway. He intersperces his information with tales of his father who, at the time of writing, was 97 and planning to live to be 100. The stories of his dad are quite interesting, and they show how a person can ignore (if possible) his impeding demise. I'm 62, and I know that the years behind me are much greter than the years before me, and I just hate looking down the long dark corridor of mortality. Death comes to us all, and this book at least explains to us how that might happen. It's not good news, but it's informative.
The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
Date undefinedThe title of this review says it all. If you are someone who, like the author, is mildly to moderately depressed, then this is your book. The main thrust of the book seems to me to be: "How dare my father be so vital at his advanced age while I suffer from crippling back pain. Oh, the unfairness of it all." The author shows zero psychological insight into his condition. Another theme of the book is: "Once you've had kids, or are past child rearing age, you're done. Give up, roll over, and have the good grace to die." This is truly a feel-bad book. Nothing about psychological growth of the individual. Jung believed that this process STARTED around age 50. I give the book two stars because there are some pithy sentences.
The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
Date undefinedAnd what a trip! I was mesmerized by Shields' adroit juxtapositions of facts, quotations, personal anecdotes and sheer musings. In perfect counterpoint, his logical, reasoning reporter voice succumbs to his non-linear, subjective yarn-spinner meanderings, and so it goes -- the thrust and parry of right-brain-then-left-brain advances, leaps, detours, and backtracks. I have to agree with at least half of what he says was written about him on the wall of a ladies' restroom, "David Shields is a great writer and a babe to boot." (The former is definitely accurate and if he inherited even a little of his father's self-described magnetism, I'm sure the latter is equally true!) Thanks for this wonderful, unforgettable book.
