Dr. Mannix, a palliative care specialist, reflects on "ordinary dying" in her writing, aiming to help others understand the process and approach it with compassion, while balancing joy and grief.

Francis Weller emphasizes grief's need to be witnessed. As a therapist for 40 years, he believes grief connects all stories. He advocates for embracing all emotions and living fully, with reverence.

Dr. Ira Byock's Four Things That Matter Most explores well-being through the end of life, emphasizing the importance of emotional health even in the face of death. His work highlights that human development continues through life’s final stages.

Lydia Dugdale’s The Lost Art of Dying emphasizes that to die well, one must live well, urging readers to prepare for death by reconciling relationships, considering medical choices, and engaging with life's ultimate questions.

Chapters by Caren Martineau explores a mother-daughter bond, revealing a deep connection to the other side. After a death, the absence of empathy from a distant figure contrasts with the mourners' grief.

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin follows four siblings who, after learning the dates of their deaths from a fortune teller, live haunted by their prophecies. The novel explores love, loss, and the impact of knowing one's fate.

Ashton Applewhite, in This Chair Rocks, advocates for an empowered view of aging, urging us to confront and embrace the aging process without fear. She highlights moments of happiness, defies ageism, and supports psychedelic hospice for a peaceful end.