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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Death’s Summer Coat summary
Brandy Schillace
What the History of Death and Dying Teaches Us About Life and Living
15 mins
Brief summary
Death's Summer Coat by Brandy Schillace explores society's changing attitudes towards death, mourning, and the afterlife. With vivid anecdotes and extensive research, Schillace exposes the ways in which death has been romanticized and commercialized throughout history, and argues for a more honest and compassionate approach to the inevitability of human mortality.
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Death’s Summer Coat
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Key idea 1 of 7
The human mind instinctively creates categories; death causes anxiety since it cannot be categorized.
If you’ve experienced discrimination, you might have imagined how wonderfully different life would be if people didn’t put everything they see into categories like race, age and gender.
But categorizing is something every human does from birth onward – even if born blind!
In 2009, a team of Harvard psychologists led by Alfonso Caramazza discovered that people born blind have the exact same neural pathways for building categories as those born with sight.
For those who can see, the brain’s categorization works like this: upon seeing an object – like a dog or a hammer – different neural connections are formed between the eyes and a specific part of the brain that creates categories. Thus categorized, these objects are now recognizable to us as a friendly animal or a useful tool.
Amazingly, this function is such a basic part of the brain that people who are born blind have the exact same neural connections, despite having never used their eyes. This means our brain’s capacity for category-building is already in place by the time we are born.
And since our brain is so primed for finding categories, things like death, which aren’t easily categorized, can cause us anxiety.
Death is difficult to process; it is both a singular, final event as well as an ongoing process. So, even if we try not to think about death, we still have trouble escaping the knowledge that, as we get older, we are slowly dying.
Reminders abound. For instance, the dust that collects upon surfaces and swirls in the sunlight is primarily made up of dead skin that, but a week ago, was a living part of our body.
This reminds us that death, although an ending, is also part of being alive – a contradiction that is tough to comprehend, and one of the reasons we prefer not thinking about death while we are healthy.
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What is Death’s Summer Coat about?
Death’s Summer Coat (2016) is a peculiar and sometimes gruesome look at the history of a subject we don’t like to think about: death. Learn about how death rituals and the medical profession affect our relationship with the deceased – and that defining death isn’t as easy as one might think.
Death’s Summer Coat Review
Death's Summer Coat (2015) by Brandy Schillace is a thought-provoking exploration of death and the rituals surrounding it. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It delves into various cultural practices around death, shedding light on how different societies deal with mortality and bringing new perspectives.
- The book presents powerful stories of individuals facing death, offering deep insights into the human experience and the meaning we find in life.
- By unraveling the mysteries of death, Death's Summer Coat challenges our beliefs and gives us a better understanding of our own mortality, making it a captivating and enlightening read.
Best quote from Death’s Summer Coat
At what point does dying become death? The knowledge I will die becomes I am dying largely based on timing.
—Brandy Schillace
Who should read Death’s Summer Coat?
- Anyone mourning the loss of a loved one
- Historians interested in rituals of death and funerals
- Morticians and medical professionals who have to deal with death on a daily basis
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Death’s Summer Coat FAQs
What is the main message of Death’s Summer Coat?
Death's Summer Coat examines the cultural, historical, and personal ways we deal with death.
How long does it take to read Death’s Summer Coat?
The reading time for Death's Summer Coat varies. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Death’s Summer Coat a good book? Is it worth reading?
Death's Summer Coat is a thought-provoking read. It offers a unique perspective on death and provides valuable insights into the human experience.
Who is the author of Death’s Summer Coat?
The author of Death's Summer Coat is Brandy Schillace.
What to read after Death’s Summer Coat?
If you're wondering what to read next after Death’s Summer Coat, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix
- Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
- The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
- The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo
- This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo
- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
- Phaedo by Plato
- Didn't See That Coming by Rachel Hollis