this magisterial opus, capping alifetime of work and personal experience, Dr. Yalom helps usrecognize that the fear of death is at the heart of much of ouranxiety. Such recognition is often catalyzed by an "awakeningexperience"—a dream, or loss (the death of a loved one,divorce, loss of a job or home), illness, trauma, or aging. Once we confront our own mortality, Dr. Yalom writes, we areinspired to rearrange our priorities, communicate more deeply withthose we love, appreciate more keenly the beauty of life, andincrease our willingness to take the risks necessary for personalfulfillment.

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