Introduction
6
Chapter One: We Are Stardust
10
The afterlife
12
Recycling souls
12
Life in another realm
13
Rivers
16
Chapter Two: Every Living Thing
18
It’s all about oxygen
20
How long do we live?
20
A hard life for babies
23
Gimme shelter—and food and water
24
Limbo
26
Chapter Three: Nature or Science?
28
Turning off the machines
30
Drawing the line
30
Passing life on
32
Caring for people who are dying
33
Helping people die
33
Birds
36
Chapter Four: Atoms to Atoms
38
Burial
41
Mummification
43
Embalming
44
Cremation
44
Sky burial
46
Burial at sea
47
Green burial
49
Coffins
50
Contents
