I would have liked this book more if it spent more time on the comforting thoughts about death and less on the nothing to do with God -- I've been an atheist for my entire life and don't need that kind of affirmation. It felt like the majority of the book was arguing for a secular/non-religious framework, and I wish there'd been more detail on the comforting thoughts. Instead, they were quickly enumerated and not discussed in the detail spent on tearing down a religious framework. ( )

I really, really love this book. It came early in the mail and I was excited to see it! I was also surprised at the size of it. It was kind of small. But, boy, does it have a lot of important stuff packed in there!

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I read the title and decided to buy it, but it turned out to be even better!

I was expecting maybe a lot of quotes and anecdotes and stories from or about atheists who had something to say to comfort people who had gone through experiences where a loved one died and were tired of hearing about religion and prayer from everyone around them. Maybe even a poem or two. Kind of like Chicken Soup for the Soul except without the soul bit.

Don't get me wrong, there was definitely some of that in there (no poems, though) but a lot of it was about the difference between secular ways of viewing and coping with death, our own and that of our loved ones (even our pets), and how it's possible to derive comfort from secular philosophies about life and death. About why we shouldn't concede the point of comfort to religion alone.

The author doesn't just say those things, though. She explains why she feels that way, and I think she makes very compelling arguments for that.

This book is not just written for people who are already secular. This is also a book I think religious people could find useful, as well. And indeed, it seems that the author intended it that way.

There's also a handy resource guide at the back of the book that gives you suggestions for looking into the subject matter further.

I'm definitely glad that I picked this up. It's a short read, reasonably-sized font, and doesn't take up a lot of time. At the same time, I think it's the kind of book that you'll put on your shelf and go back to many times. Definitely worth the buy and I'd certainly recommend it! ( )

Despite the title, there is a good deal of talk about God in this book! One of the issues I have with a lot of atheist books is that they seem to continually define their perspective contra theism. So while there are quite a few interesting (and comforting, depending on who you are) thoughts about death in this book, too much of it is arguing against theistic ideas or criticising the way theists may communicate with atheists about death and grieving. What I'd like to see is a book that makes no reference to religion but provides a discussion about death, grieving and journeying through toward and/or through these experiences that is comforting. Having said that, the book is worth reading to get a sense of what options there may be for approaching death and grieving from a secular perspective. Christina rights with sensitivity and warmth and it is timely that a calm conversation begins amongst secularists about one of the great certainties of life -- death. ( )