"Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind" (Encore)

(Note: This interview first aired last year.) Death is something few of us like to talk about, or even think about, but it's a fact of life, of course -- the final fact, so to speak. What if we could live our lives while looking at death in a more complete, more honest, less fearful way? Would our lives be richer? Would we actually be healthier individuals? Our guest, Barbara Becker, clearly and intelligently answers these questions in the affirmative. Becker is a writer and interfaith minister who's dedicated 20-plus years to working with human rights advocates worldwide in pursuit of peace, spirituality, and everyday mindfulness. Her interdisciplinary new book -- at once a study, a critique, a history, and a memoir -- is "Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind." It is, per Kirkus Reviews, "a graceful meditation on divine deliverance.... [Becker is a] reassuring advocate for peace and interreligious understanding, and she views dying as an opportunity to seek enlightenment and give thanks, regardless of one's preferred spiritual path."