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The Denial of Death Audiobook
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(4.01) - 1,702 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life’s work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker’s brilliant and impassioned answer to the “why” of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie: man’s refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates half a century after its publication.
The Denial of Death was the last book Dr. Becker published before his own premature death in 1974. His insightful and powerful ideas are sure to last for generations.
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"Ernest Becker won the Pulitzer in 1974 for this seminal work in modern philosophy, and in my opinion, he is most deserving. This book, more than any other I've read, clearly describes the uniquely human dilemma of being aware of one's own mortality. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in existential philosophy or psychology."
— Valerie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A brave work of electrifying intelligence and passion, optimistic and revolutionary, destined to endure.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“The Denial of Death is a great book—one of the few great books of the twentieth or any other century.”
— Albuquerque Journal Book Review -
“It is hard to overestimate the importance of this book; Becker succeeds brilliantly in what he sets out to do, and the effort was necessary.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“A magnificent psycho-philosophical synthesis which ranks among the truly important books of the year. Professor Becker writes with power and brilliant insight.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“There are no sound effects, nor is there any crackle of dialogue, but I listened five times. Never strident or hectoring, Raymond Todd has a voice you can enjoy, even when you don’t yet quite understand.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
The Denial of Death Listener Reviews
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Paul Swope, 2/22/2023
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Brian Basler, 11/14/2018
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" Richard says: This is the best book I've ever read, and I revisit the pages at least once a year. "
— Katy, 2/19/2014 -
" Becker distills the field of psychoanalysis - obviously Freud, Kierkegaard, Jung and less obviously Otto Rank - into the sweeping thesis that all of human endeavor is, per the title, merely a distraction from the awareness of mortality. Religious and sexual angst aplenty. Some really great summer beach reading here. "
— Troy, 2/18/2014 -
" the basic problem of being human is human condition: fear of life, fear of death, fear of annihilation. I started reading to find some answers how to cope with the grief of losing my mother to cancer. I ended a changed person, never again will I think about life and death like I used to do. "
— Shinta, 2/17/2014 -
" Most insightful book I've ever read. "
— Michael, 2/5/2014 -
" Best non-fiction book I've ever read. "
— Hal, 1/31/2014 -
" Death is Scary! "
— Nicky, 1/16/2014 -
" Knowing that I am soon going to have a child has made me think about my own death nearly every day for the past 3 months. I had heard about this book on an NPR program about an undertaker detaching herself from the event of death and in order to better deal with the physical remains. This is a full on psychology book from the 1970s. I was expecting more of a philosophical book about overcoming the fear of death by confronting it. Instead, the author speaks of many psychological themes that were frankly above my level and difficult to piece together. Luckily it was a shorter book, but it held very little value for me. "
— Mark, 11/12/2013 -
" Marc Maron has mentioned this several times, and it's an amazing, mind-blowing read. A post-freudian look at our daily struggles with life, death, and our own "hero" myths. "
— Fred, 10/26/2013 -
" Fascinating on many levels...definitely worth reading and re-reading. "
— Jayalexn, 10/2/2013 -
" Required reading for anyone who hopes to think meaningfully about the human condition, either philosophically or scientifically. "
— Dono421846, 9/18/2013 -
" I've been meaning to re-read this book. "
— Colin, 9/18/2013 -
" I read parts of this book for a seminar on death and dying I took in college, and loved it. I always meant to finish it, have carried it with me from Ohio, back to California, out to New York, and up to Boston. One day I'll find the time... "
— Lesley, 9/12/2013 -
" 1974 Pulitzer for non-fiction. Fear and its relationship to human behavior. "
— Martinc2, 9/2/2013 -
" A book that will pull your mind into a spiral by reflecting how much of your existence is based on running away (denying) your inevitable death, and how you're already trying to cope with it by constructing a hero complex comprising smoke and mirrors. "
— Tiemu, 12/19/2012 -
" A profound book combining religion, psychology, and social science focusing on the essence and meaning of personhood. "
— Nate, 6/20/2012 -
" This is a rather difficult book overall. I'm not exactly sure I understood everything that the author tried to convey and I am probably going to read it again in the future, under a different perspective. "
— Guilherme, 3/16/2012 -
" Boring but some knowledgeable insights. "
— Joanna, 2/3/2012 -
" the most brilliant book i've ever read. "
— Sung-Min, 10/1/2011 -
" I disagree. "
— Mary, 4/30/2011 -
" Richard says: This is the best book I've ever read, and I revisit the pages at least once a year. "
— Katy, 4/13/2011 -
" No other book has changed my view in such a deep and meaningful way. Parts of me wished I had never read it. Some of me wonders why it wasn't obvious to me from the start. "
— Kris, 2/24/2011 -
" I read this book as part of my undergraduate independent study, <em>The Meaning of Death</em>. "
— Robert, 1/29/2011 -
" Absolutely one of the most important books I've ever read! I learned that no matter what, faith, not a religious faith, but just plain faith through acceptance of what is, is the most important thing towards living a peaceful, fulfilled life. "
— Anthony, 12/15/2010 -
" Own two copies: one an audiobook, one a print edition. "
— edenstephen, 12/11/2010 -
" Most insightful book I've ever read. "
— Michael, 12/2/2010 -
" This is a great book that describes no less than what motivates human behavior. This should be required reading for all adults. It is the inspiration for my book, "The Human Manifesto: A General Plan For Human Survival." "
— Vincent, 11/13/2010 -
" This book changed the way I thought about depression and existential angst. I know it helped somewhat. Highly recommended for anyone facing personal demons or wanting to explore various facets of the concept. "
— Ben, 11/9/2010 -
" The most significant book I have ever read. "
— M., 10/9/2010
About Ernest Becker
Dr. Ernest Becker (1924–1974) received a PhD in cultural anthropology from Syracuse University. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State College, and Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and a foundation that bears his name, The Ernest Becker Foundation.
About Raymond Todd
Raymond Todd is an actor and director in the theater as well as a poet and documentary filmmaker. He plays jazz trombone for the Leatherstocking quartet, an ensemble that gets its name from one of his favorite Blackstone narrations, The Deerslayer. Todd lives in New York.