"Irvin Yalom has written a brave, intelligent book on the last forbidden subject—death. I honor his courage and rare insight."

—Erica Jong,author, Fear of Flying, Shylock's Daughter, Inventing Memory, and Sappho's Leap

"This thoughtful treatment of the ultimate fear has much to offer people of faith, especially Western Christians. Instead of fearing death, which gave birth to religion itself, we can confront it in a true act of faith and stop denying it through fantasies of immortality. This is a wise book by a wise man about the most taboo of all subjects. Read it, and fear not."

—Robin Meyers,minister of Mayflower UCC Church of Oklahoma City, and author, Why the Christian Right Is Wrong

"Staring at the Sun is a thoughtful reinforcement of the stoicism that we all need in a time when babble and denial are all the rage."

—Christopher Hitchens,author, God Is Not Great

"Staring at the Sun looks experientially and psychodynamically at our deepest fear and describes with uncommon eloquence and deep humanity how we may arrive at a form of peace. The book is witty and kind and unflinching, a generous meditation that should give comfort to the dying and to those they leave behind."

—Andrew Solomon,author, The Noonday Demon, winner of the National Book Award

"One of America's finest therapists guides us through one of life's most challenging tasks in this profoundly helpful book. It will benefit anyone who reads it."

—Rabbi Harold Kushner,author, When Bad Things Happen to GoodPeople

Praise for Irvin Yalom

"Yalom is the Scheherazade of the couch, his work a marvelous exercise in storytelling."

—Laura Miller,New York Times

"Irvin Yalom writes like an angel about the devils that besiege us."

—Rollo May,author, Love and Will, The Meaning of Anxiety, Man's Search for Himself, and The Courage to Create

The philosopher Martin Heidegger once remarked that we can live intensely only if we stare death in the face every moment of our lives. Bestselling psychiatrist Yalom (Love's Executioner) attempts to put this principle into practice in a sometimes thoughtful, often repetitious book. Drawing on literature and film, as well as conversations with his patients, Yalom demonstrates how the fear of retirement, concerns about changing jobs or moving to another city, or changes in family status (such as the empty nest) are rooted in our deepest, most inescapable fear: of death. Yet, he says, this anxiety can prompt an awakening to life and help us realize our connections to others and our influence on those around us. Through such experiences we can transcend our sense of “finiteness and transiency” and live in the here and now. In a final chapter, Yalom offers instructions for therapists seeking to help their patients overcome death anxiety. Although in the 1980s Yalom, now 76, provided new insights into the human psyche with his innovative method of “existential psychotherapy,” this book recycles well-known philosophical insights, but Yalom's humane, calm voice may bring them to a new audience. (Feb.)(Publishers Weekly, November 5, 2007)

"Staring at the Sunis neither textbook nor mere self-help. Philosophical it is, but never arid with theory. Its lively chapters are populated with patients whose raw angst Yalom refines into vignettes that are always enlightening and often quite moving." — Washington Post

"So what to do about the dread of death? ... [Yalom's] key prescriptions are true connections with others, a feeling one has lived well and "rippling" - having positive impacts and memories live on in others after you die. These deceptively obvious goals are, obviously, not easily attained: What thinking and feeling person truly lives a life with no regrets? But they are inarguably worthwhile ones." — San Francisco Chronicle

Once we confront our own mortality, Dr. Yalom writes, we are inspired to rearrange our priorities, communicate more deeply with those we love, appreciate more keenly the beauty of life, and increase our willingness to take the risks necessary for personal fulfillment.

From the acclaimed author of the best-selling Love's Executioner, The Gift of Therapy, and When Nietzsche Weptcomes an inspiring book that confronts the most demanding challenge we all face: overcoming the terror of death.

Written in Irv Yalom's inimitable story-telling style, Staring at the Sun is a profoundly encouraging approach to the universal issue of mortality. In this magisterial opus, capping a lifetime of work and personal experience, Dr. Yalom helps us recognize that the fear of death is at the heart of much of our anxiety. Such recognition is often catalyzed by an "awakening experience"—a dream, or loss (the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job or home), illness, trauma, or aging.

Once we confront our own mortality, Dr. Yalom writes, we are inspired to rearrange our priorities, communicate more deeply with those we love, appreciate more keenly the beauty of life, and increase our willingness to take the risks necessary for personal fulfillment.

Filled with touching personal stories of people who are grappling with the terror of death—including the author—Staring at the Sun offers specific methods to cope with terror and is ultimately life affirming. Most important, Dr. Yalom encourages us to strive for more direct engagement with others. Compassionate connection, combined with the wisdom of the great thinkers who have wrestled with mortality, enables us to overcome the terror of death and lead happier, more meaningful lives.

Chapter 1. The Mortal Wound.

Chapter 2. Recognizing Death Anxiety.

Chapter 3. The Awakening Experience.

Chapter 4. The Power of Ideas.

Chapter 5. Overcoming Death Terror Through Connection.

Chapter 6. Death Awareness: A Memoir.

Chapter 7. Addressing Death Anxiety: Advice for Therapists.

Afterword.

Notes.

About the Author.

A Reader’s Guide to Staring at the Sun.

Index.