People do the funniest things, in life and in death, and this new compendium from the editors of the British cult classic Fortean Times brings together true tales of the hilarious deaths and bizarrely triumphant lives of ordinary folks from around the world. This book gathers together dozens of comic demises, a cast of over 50 centagenarians, and stories of special people living extraordinary lives, from hermits to children raised by wild animals. And it reveals fascinating and funny insights into about how to live and how not to.

Jackson Pollard, now 124, advises, "avoid alcohol, eat good vegetables, and never, never get married to no skinny woman." But then strict vegetarian Victor Villenti of South Africa was killed while jogging by a frozen eight-pound leg of lamb which fell from a third story window. Then there's Prom Daewerorarm, 115, who met his third wife Bai Ohnok, 106, at a health contest for the elderly. He recommends "five hot fried chili peppers a day to keep you regular." But if Glen Pelmear were still with us he might disagree: he was electrocuted in England while sitting on a metal public toilet in contact with a broken light fixture.

Yes, there are many potholes on the road of life, and few marathon runners. This collection of the Grim Reaper's greatest hits--and of testimonials from some of his greatest misses--is a truly instructional little book about life.

128 pages
Paperback
$8.95
November