Staring at the Sun

Staring at the Sun (2008) explores the universal human fear of death and strategies for alleviating death anxiety. It blends psychotherapy case studies with philosophical ideas to argue confronting mortality is key to living a meaningful, present-focused life. Through vivid patient stories, it illuminates how facing death enables you to prioritize what really matters.

• People anxious about death
• Therapists hoping to understand more about death anxiety 
• Anyone who’s coming to terms with the fact that they’re going to die one day

Irvin D. Yalom is an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Stanford University who pioneered the field of group psychotherapy. He’s authored many best-selling books integrating philosophy and psychology, including Love's Executioner, The Gift of Therapy, and Creatures of a Day. His writings on existential therapy approaches and reflections on mortality draw on more than 50 years of psychiatric practice and teaching.