Penelope Smith

This book was overall a much more interesting read than I expected it to be. I picked the book up at the library on a whim (as I am want to do) after seeing its title in the New Release Non-Fiction section. At first I thought the book's premise was ridiculous and that it'd be a fun laugh - this thought did not dissipate for a while.

Although my initial inclination was to quickly dismiss everything that was contained within the book, the further into the book I read, the more this skepticism show more dissolved. Although some of the book still rings as creepy new-age crap (i.e. her Whale poem was a bit creepy) the book was altogether of a more sound mind than I expected.

I wouldn't go around lauding this book to people, but at the same time I wouldn't routinely dismiss it as I firstly wished to do. So, overall, this book was good if taken with a hearty grain of common sense. show less

A comforting book... She offers persuasive evidence that animals view death in a much more matter-of fact way than humans, and anyone who's ever seen an animal ill--their patience, their quiet endurance--has seen evidence of that. She argues for an afterlife and the ability to continue communication, and for reincarnation (some fascinating anecdotes).

I find this book very inspirational, not because it's the ultimate practical how-to manual, but I think because it's evocatively written. Certain images here can be called on to help evoke the state of mind needed.