Living a successful temporal life and at the same time facing the reality of death tries the strongest among us. People approach thier lives from a variety of directions some of which are more adaptive than others. Those who live egocentric and disolute lives often later in life rue the day that they have been so foolish. If one looks to the great minds of the past such as Socrates (whose bust at the Lourve graces the cover of this book) and St. Paul and others, however, he will find guidelines that may make his life easier and perhaps even fulfilling - so that whether he looks forward to a life after death or only to "the dying of the light," he will have few grounds for regret.
