Final Exits：The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die

Todie,kickthebucket,tomeetyourMaker,deadasadoornail,getwhacked,smoked,bitethedust,sleepwiththefishes,gosixfeetunder—whateverdeathiscalled,it'sgoingtohappen.In1789BenFranklinwrote,"Inthisworldnothingiscertainbutdeathandtaxes."Deathremainsacertainty.Buthowdowedie?It'stheenormousvarietyofhowthatenlivensfinalexits.Accordingtodeathcertificates,in1700therewerelessthan100causesofdeath.Todaythereare3,000.Witheachadvanceoftechnology,peoplefindnewwaystobecomedeceased,oftencausingtrendsthatpeakinthefirstyear.Peoplearenowkilledbyeverything,fromcellphones,washingmachines,lawnmowersandtoothpicks,totheboundlesscatalogofman—mademedicines.InFinalExitsthecausesofdeath—bizarreorcommon—arealphabeticallyarrangedandincludeactualaccountsofpeople,bothfamousandordinary,whounfortunatelydiedthatway.(Ants,badwords,Bingo,beanbagchairs,flyingcows,frozentoilets,hiccups,lipstick,morayeels,roadkill,starfish,andtoupeesareonlysomeofthemoreunusualcauses.)