168 p., paperback

The subject of death makes a lot of people uneasy. Most of us just don’t know much about death — especially how to handle it and how to prepare for it — and we may feel anxious and afraid whenever we start to contemplate either the death of a loved one or our own death. But as Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the founder and spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, tells us in this powerful and moving little book, our anxiety can be a "wholesome fear" — one that ultimately enriches and nourishes our life by leaving us no choice to but to face difficult truths and live more authentically because of them. Truly, we can use the challenges that surround death and dying as spurs to take up the practices right now that will lead to peace and compassion and joy — ultimately, to a good life, and, when the time inevitably comes, a good death.