Spook

By Mary Roach,

Book cover of Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

Book description

"What happens when we die? Does the light just go out and that's that-the million-year nap? Or will some part of my personality, my me-ness persist? What will that feel like? What will I do all day? Is there a place to plug in my lap-top?" In an attempt to…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Spook as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is the book that started my love affair with spiritualism. Mary Roach’s accessible and often hilarious approach to science writing made a huge impression on me when I first picked it up in my early 20s.

The personal and adventurous nature of her investigations also intrigued me, earning Roach a spot high on my list of people I want to be when I grow up and cementing her place as one of my few auto-buy authors.

The wide, weird array of research she presents in her book—and her open-minded take on it all—left me with a burning desire to…

Ghosts are at the nexus of any Halloween celebration. The first Samhain tribal gatherings likely involved the spirits of the dead; old Irish literature chronicles the opening of the otherworld at this time of year; and even in the 21st century we tour graveyards, dress as ghosts, and conjure up the dead every year at Halloween. Mary Roach’s hilarious, entertaining examination of the world of spirits tackles the question no has been able to answer: what happens after we die?

From Lesley's list on Halloween celebrations.

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