Ikeda, Daisaku, Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death: And Everything in Between, a Buddhist View of Life, 2nd ed., Middleway Press, 2004.

Daisaku Ikeda, a winner of the United Nations Peace Award, presents an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand introduction to Buddhism, which explores people's interconnectedness to one another and all things of the world.

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth, On Death and Dying, Scribner, 1969, reprint, 1997.

This book is a classic study of the stages that people go through when they know they are dying. Kübler-Ross, a psychiatrist, devoted her life to dealing with the emotions of dying. By understanding what a dying person goes through, those who experience the loss of a loved one also gain insight into how to deal with their grief.

McQuade, Molly, ed., By Herself: Women Reclaim Poetry, Graywolf Press, 2000.

In this collection of essays, women poets describe their creative writing...