In My Time of Dying, Sebastian Junger

An author whose new books I must read immediately, and look forward to every single time. This one may be his best. It’s short, impactful; makes you stop reading and think time and time again; makes you grateful; and makes you ponder life and the universe on so many levels it can be at times overwhelming. It's just the type of book I am looking for. Junger nearly dies in the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at his home with his wife and two young children. Debilitated from abdominal pain, he was taken to the hospital. He has a near-death experience - a visitation by his father inviting Junger to join him. After miraculously surviving, the NDE caused Junger (an atheist) to go down a deep rabbit hole undertaking a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of life and death. His medical ordeal and part autobiography hits home and hits well. You want to root for an afterlife of course – a trigger of optimism is the medical paradox of lucidity during collapsing brain function. One fascinating point - the brain uses 15% of oxygenated blood in the body and around 20% of the glucose. When the heart stops, those huge needs suddenly go unmet, and electrical activity in the brain plummets. And yet awareness seems to increase. Or, the overwhelming likelihood is that our sense of another reality is just a comforting illusion that helps us live our lives. Or could consciousness never be lost because it’s a part of the cosmic fabric? Who knows? Anything is possible after you read this book. Just makes you realize once again how lucky we truly are to be alive on this earth in this universe. Besides, Junger’s book title is the title of a very good LedZep song… destined for greatness.