This is the landmark book in death education, providing an interdisciplinary approach to understanding death and the dying process. Using case examples and exercises, readers can reflect upon their own experiences with death. Draws upon contributions from the humanities as well as the social and behavioral sciences, such as history, religion, philosophy, literature, and the arts. Shows how individual and societal attitudes subtly influence both how and when we die and how we live with the knowledge of death and loss. Provides a human voice by including stories of real people trying to cope with their own difficult situations. For anyone interested in the subject of death and dying, bereavement, and mourning.