Synopses & Reviews
We are all going to die, but some of us will die better. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;As a spiritual teacher based in the Washington, D.C., area, Erica Brown has attracted a strong following among those looking for practical wisdom based on the worldand#8217;s most revered and treasured religious texts. Here she shares stories and ref lections on one of lifeand#8217;s most essential topics: how we pack each day with love and meaning precisely because we will not live forever. Erica helps us confront our fears about deathand#8212;for ourselves and our loved onesand#8212;and demonstrates how the last days of life can be among the most inspiring if we learn to leave a legacy of words and values, to forgive and apologize, and to make important decisions about our last hours. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Praised by andlt;Iandgt;New York Times andlt;/Iandgt;columnist David Brooks for combining and#8220;extreme empathy with extreme tough-mindedness,and#8221; Erica Brown is a leading religious scholar with a sense of humor and a gift for storytelling. In andlt;Iandgt;Happier Endingsandlt;/Iandgt;, she meets people of all faiths who deal with death in enlightening ways, including a mother who arranged for her children to sprinkle her ashes on a favorite ski slope, an ex-nun who prepares people to die, a group of women who ritually wash the dead, and a family whose grandfatherand#8217;s Ethical will is read by his survivors each year. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Brown leads readers on an emotional journey to prepare for and accept death, drawing on the wisdom found in many spiritual traditions. The crucial step, Brown writes, is becoming comfortable discussing deathand#8212;and not just in the abstract. This kind of honesty allows for important conversations, from financial wills to last words that reinforce to those you love most what matters most to you. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;After reading andlt;Iandgt;Happier Endings, andlt;/Iandgt;you will have a greater understanding of what a good death can be and what a life well lived looks like.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Erica Brown is the teacher we all want and the guide we all need.
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andlt;divandgt;"Erica Brown has a unique voice. A woman of faith, she speaks to everyone searching for God and greater meaning. In andlt;iandgt;Happier Endingsandlt;/iandgt;, Erica explores our attitudes toward death by helping us identify what it means to be alive. She inspires and she reminds us what is most important before we say goodbye."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
“Brown has what many people are looking for these days….conviction.” David Brooks, The New York Times
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andlt;divandgt;"Erica Brown is wise and brilliant, with a refreshing sense of humor and an enriching perspective on some of life's great challenges.
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andlt;divandgt;"Brown addresses this painful subject with eloquence, honesty, and clarity; we can reckon with death, she avers, to change the lives we have now, to live fully and sincerely in the present moment, whatever we feel might happen afterward."andlt;/divandgt;
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"Cathartic" < -="" i="" -=""> - < -="" b="" -=""> - The Wall Street Journal - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
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andlt;divandgt;"Brown has what many people are looking for these days....conviction."andlt;/divandgt;
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andlt;divandgt;"Cathartic"andlt;/divandgt;
Synopsis
A wise and affirming meditation on living fully and preparing for death, written by a highly regarded spiritual teacher.
We are all going to die, but some of us will die better.
As a spiritual teacher based in the Washington, D.C., area, Erica Brown has attracted a strong following among those looking for practical wisdom based on the world's most revered and treasured religious texts. Here she shares stories and ref lections on one of life's most essential topics: how we pack each day with love and meaning precisely because we will not live forever. Erica helps us confront our fears about death--for ourselves and our loved ones--and demonstrates how the last days of life can be among the most inspiring if we learn to leave a legacy of words and values, to forgive and apologize, and to make important decisions about our last hours.
Praised by New York Times columnist David Brooks for combining "extreme empathy with extreme tough-mindedness," Erica Brown is a leading religious scholar with a sense of humor and a gift for storytelling. In Happier Endings, she meets people of all faiths who deal with death in enlightening ways, including a mother who arranged for her children to sprinkle her ashes on a favorite ski slope, an ex-nun who prepares people to die, a group of women who ritually wash the dead, and a family whose grandfather's Ethical will is read by his survivors each year.
Brown leads readers on an emotional journey to prepare for and accept death, drawing on the wisdom found in many spiritual traditions. The crucial step, Brown writes, is becoming comfortable discussing death--and not just in the abstract. This kind of honesty allows for important conversations, from financial wills to last words that reinforce to those you love most what matters most to you.
After reading Happier Endings, you will have a greater understanding of what a good death can be and what a life well lived looks like.
Synopsis
A wise and affirming meditation on living fully and preparing for death, written by a highly regarded spiritual teacher.One of the few certainties in life is that at some point, everyone must leave it. Yet the pragmatic decisions that can bring comfort, aid, and reassurance both to those facing death and those left behind are often sidelined due to fear and denial.
Praised by New York Times columnist David Brooks for combining “extreme empathy with extreme tough-mindedness,” Erica Brown is a leading religious scholar and counselor. In Happier Endings, she leads readers on an emotional journey toward preparation for and acceptance of death, drawing on the wisdom found in many faiths and spiritual traditions.
The first step, Brown writes, is to be comfortable discussing death. This kind of honesty allows for important conversations, from financial wills to “ethical wills”—guides you can leave to your family about the values you deem important. Along the way, Brown introduces a number of remarkable people who help others prepare for death: from Cheryl, a woman who prepares bodies for funerals in a small Jewish community in Oklahoma; to the spry mother who encouraged her daughters to sprinkle her ashes on her favorite mountain during a ski trip; to the man whose heirs have been reading his ethical will every year for generations.
As more Americans consider hospice and palliative care, this is both a timely and timeless guide brimming with insight and compassion.
About the Author
Erica Brown is a writer and educator who works as the scholar-in-residence for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and consults for the Jewish Agency and other Jewish nonprofit organizations. She is the author of andlt;iandgt;Inspired Jewish Leadershipandlt;/iandgt;, a National Jewish Book Award finalist, and a number of other books. She resides with her husband and four children in Silver Spring, Maryland.