Death Rules
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Will Cairns
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How
Death Shapes Life on Earth, and What it Means For Us
Death
Rules explores life from the perspective of
death. We are all going to die; our lifespan is limited.
That is the way it is. And yet we do our best to avoid
death, and at almost any cost.
While we accept the fact of death, we seldom talk about
it. Now, in the 21st century, science is offering us the
opportunity to better understand the vital role of death
as it shapes the success and the complexity of life on
Earth, and to appreciate our place in the midst of it all.
The book explores the natural history of our individual
lives and why they must be of a limited duration; how our
bodies deteriorate throughout our adult life and why we
cannot be rejuvenated; why a finite life might be
important for species persistence; why variability is
vital for success and why perfection might be a liability;
and it considers how we die.
Death and the recycling of complex molecules and rare
minerals have been vital for the success of life on Earth.
Most organisms are not self-sufficient but thrive on the
fruits of the labour of others. This has been exploited
for the opportunities it offers.
As the environment in which a species lives changes, so
does the selection of those of its members who are
eliminated by death. It is death and failure that shape
the direction of evolution, eliminating the less fit by
processes driven by the influences of chance and
probability.
Since life first started it has always had to deal with
the reality of death. We have incorporated it into our
biology and our culture, and it is everywhere and a part
of us. However, if our evolved nature and our beliefs
obstruct our ability to adapt to an unpredictable global
environment and for which we are not prepared, we face the
reality that we too may be subject to the selective power
of collapse and death.
This book takes a very candid look at death and our place
in the complex relationships that shape the evolution of
life on a planet with a dynamic and unstable environment.
In the Media
>
Book review by Sandy Mcleod, ANZSPM December
2014: click here to read.
>
Book review by Robin H. Mortimer, Medical Journal of Australia, click here to read.
>
Book review appearing in AMA Queensland Magazine Doctor Q, click here to read.
About the Author
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Will Cairns is doctor specialising in palliative care, the care of dying people. His father is a scientist and Will was raised in a household of open and enthusiastic scientific discussion. He spent much of his early childhood in Australia before his family moved in 1963 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island in the USA. After graduating from Brown University in 1971, he attended medical school in London before moving with his young family in 1978 to Townsville in tropical Queensland. In 2010 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his leadership in the development of palliative care services in Townsville and the creation of the specialty of Palliative Medicine in Australia. He and his family have greatly enjoyed their life in the tropics and the opportunities that it has given them to explore and better understand the natural world.
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