Nonfiction: 99 Ways to Die by Ashely Alker

The title of Dr. Ashley Alker's book, 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them, definitely got me interested, and the table of contents looked to be a wide range of ways to die, going from some that come to mind immediately, to those that are not usually top of mind, but no less deadly.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book written by emergency medicine physician Dr. Ashely Alker. Across 13 sections, topics range from infections to heart diseases to brain diseases to sex to poison to crime to warfare, just to name a few. Each section is then further broken down into specific topics, so the section on locomotion goes more into detail regarding cars, planes, and even ATVs. As a doctor in the emergency department, Alker has many personal stories from working in hospitals, but also several anecdotes from her travels around the world. And while there is a lot being discussed, specifically 99 ways a person can die, this still is not all the ways a human being can die, so a reader's personal topic of interest still may not be covered.

My Verdict: Despite the title of the book being very clear about what is in its pages, I was honestly surprised by the sheer amount of information that Alker provides. The book hits the ground running with the first section being on infections, followed by a section of vaccine-preventable diseases. By the time the latter part of the book is reached, and the reader finds themselves learning about death by volcano, so much wisdom has been imparted, not only about survival in general, but also about different causes of death in different countries. And while Alker's stories are often funny, some are heartbreaking, even devastating, but all are shared for the purpose of education and warning.

Favorite Chapter: My favorite section in general was on animals, although it would have been the section on locomotion had there been a chapter about trains. I love trains...

Favorite Quote: "Understandably, patients are nervous about sharing sexual history, but unless the findings are subject to mandatory reporting, your information is protected. Doctors understand sexual emergencies are traumatic for patients, but the last patient put a gun in his pocket and accidentally blew his penis off, so whatever you have cannot shock the emergency department. We've seen it. We've heard it. We are too desensitized and exhausted to have an opinion about it." - from the chapter on Sexually Transmitted Infections: Gonorrhea & Chlamydia. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend John Green's Everything Is Tuberculosis, which is briefly mentioned in Alker's book.