Against Death: 35 Essays On Living articulates the personal experiences of each author's ""near-deathness,"" utilizing fresh and inventive language to represent what ""magical thinking"" proposes. These pieces are incisive and articulate, avoiding the usual platitudes, feel-good bromides, and pep talks associated with near-death encounters. The writing moves past the sob story and confronts the tough circumstance of facing death with truth and compassion, no matter how ugly or (in)convenient.