Death on Earth

March 14, 2016
In this frustrating account, British zoologist Howard (Sex on Earth) tackles a mélange of topics that are ostensibly, if very loosely, associated with the concept of death. Rather than probing any of these subjects in depth, Howard spends a great deal of his time reminding readers that he is writing a book about death. Had he opted to focus on the subject rather than the process, he might have produced an engaging work. Howard does address death on multiple levels—including cellular death, organismal death, and species extinction—but he rarely moves beyond the superficial. He also touches far too lightly on evolutionary questions about both death and aging. On the sociological front, he attempts to explore how people discuss death with young children, but his example of a conversation with his three-year-old daughter comes across as trite and simplistic. Some of his anecdotes—viewing the feeding of carrion to red kites in Wales; hunting for the horrid ground-weaver spider in Plymouth, England—are entertaining even though they don’t lead to a meaningful message. The closest Howard comes to a conclusion, philosophically or scientifically, is this banal statement: “Death is the process through which more life is created.”

May 15, 2016

Zoologist Howard, who has written for the Guardian, the Independent, and BBC Wildlife, wrestles with death and its biological underpinnings. The book begins with a discussion of how to define the concept. Is a fridge that can regulate its own temperature alive? Is fire, which grows and spreads, alive? Though death is usually a somber subject, this title is filled with humorous details, such as the example of newspaper headlines in Britain that featured a "killer" spider that is actually harmless. The most gruesome chapter is Howard's visit to a research farm that consisted of decaying pigs. There's also a section on animal mourning, which the author acknowledges is largely built around anecdotes. In a segment on gerontology, Howard explains recent research on animals that successfully rejuvenate themselves and live much longer than humans. Fans of Howard's first title, Sex on Earth: A Journey Through Nature's Most Intimate Moments, will find the same wittiness, mindfulness, and clever presentation of scientifically sound ideas here. VERDICT Anyone interested in a lighthearted contemplation of a sorrowful topic will appreciate this work.--Laurie Neuerburg, Victoria Coll.-Univ. of Houston Lib.

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