Where There's a Will: A Practical Guide to Taking Charge of your Affairs [Paperback]

As a nation, we seldom speak about death, we don't even like to use the word, and have developed cosy euphemisms to cover our unease, and yet, with an ever aging population, the need for an instruction manual on how to cope with the reality of death is an invaluable asset.
This practical guide to putting your affairs in order is both informative and fascinating in equal measure. It attempts to cover all aspects of the dying process in an easy to read style, and is neither mawkish, nor sensationalist in the way it sets out the practicalities of death and dying. The chapters are divided into structured settings, and cover such diverse topics as, the instructional etiquette involved in having your name removed from social media websites and the closing down of online bank accounts, through to the music you want at your funeral and the inscription on your memorial headstone. For those who may be facing their own death, and who need to know the practicalities of the dying process, this book informs in a sensible and forthright manner. Likewise, middle aged children, who may have no experience of the dying process, and who, when faced with the loss of a beloved parent, may struggle to cope with the myriad of emotions involved in preparing a funeral.
The answers to so many questions, you never knew you needed to know, are all written somewhere in this informative book. I enjoyed reading it, and would recommend it as a practical and helpful guide.

This is a non-fiction book that aims to defuse some of the emotion around our society's taboo about death and dying by presenting information to allow individuals to educate themselves and make choices for when the time comes. The author takes us through how the dying can prepare themselves and those around them for the end, what instructions should be left so that the deceased's wishes can be met, funerals, epitaphs and making sense of a death for those left behind. And that is only some of what the book provides.

The subtext of this book is really "knowledge is power" as it faces head-on a subject many people don't want to talk about, and underlines that thinking things through beforehand and being prepared will help everyone involved. The book tries not to tiptoe around the reader's sensibilities right from the start - it is matter of fact and even has a sense of humour.

Another "subliminal" message of the book would be "never assume" - it points out that, due to our reluctance to talk about death, we tend to assume that others will know our intentions for the end without us having to say anything or that we assume what a loved one will want. All these assumptions may be very wide of the mark.

This relatively short, clearly-written and informal work gets through an enormous amount of useful information and is right up to date. It looks at modern issues such as needing to leave internet passwords for those who survive us (as they may need to access online financial or insurance data) and making sure any photos or documents we have stored online are accessible.

As well as being a repository of incredibly useful information, the book is also interspersed with historical and contemporary facts about how other eras and other societies look at and prepare for death. I suppose some could argue that this aspect of the book is unnecessary, but I found it interesting and enlightening, showing as it does that our society's view of death is not necessarily the standard view. It demonstrates that there have been and continue to be many other views, all as valid as ours, and that there is no right or wrong perspective. However we think or feel is right.

The only aspect of Where There's A Will that I have any doubts about is the front cover. It's quite a "busy" cover with a lot of text on it and I was initially unsure of the Mexican Day of the Dead type illustration. The reason for this choice of graphic was perhaps to try to distance the book from the bland illustrations on other books on similar subjects, however this choice may be a step too far for some readers. In the end though the cover is definitely in keeping with the contents of the book and may be just what it needs.

I found this an interesting and useful guide to many aspects of a difficult subject. It strives to be neutral and even-handed in what it says, and encourages readers to think for themselves in order to find solutions that will suit them and their families. I would recommend Where There's A Will as a key addition to anyone's reference library.

In the words of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Death is not the end. Well it is for the person who has died, but for those left behind it can be the beginning of an organisational nightmare. In comes Where there is a Will by Michael Kerrigan.
This may appear an unlikely book to buy, but it a useful bible. This is up to date with Do not resuscitate orders and end of life liverpool care pathways, it give yu insight into where you can scatter ashes to having an eco funeral.
It may appear morbid but it helps with everyday issues such as managing online passwords and the modern way of living together but the pitfalls of not having a will.
This book is tongue in cheek at times and at the same time is easy to read.
Even if the reader thinks they have everything in hand when they go to their maker - there are a few surprises that may not have been taken into account.
I was not sure what to make of this at first but enjoyed reading this helpful book- Hopefully I will not need the advice for a while.