The authors of “If Ignorance is Bliss, Why Aren’t There More Happy 
People?” have written another book that elaborates on our 
understanding of people – but this time, they’re dead.
The “Book of 
the Dead” by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson profiles 68 dead people, 
and tells us engaging, humorous and sometimes bizarre stories about 
“the lives of the justly famous and undeservedly obscure.”
The book’s chapters have titles which unite the profiled people’s 
stories in one way or another. The first chapter, “There’s Nothing 
Like a Bad Start in Life” is about those who have come from very 
humble beginnings, to say the least. Leonardo da Vinci had an absent 
father and poor mother, and Isaac Newton had a lonely childhood, with 
no stable home and constant bullying in school.
Another chapter, “Grin and Bear it”, tells the stories of historical 
figures who have had to overcome an illness, disability or mental 
impairment. Interestingly enough, one of history’s earliest healthcare 
icons, Florence Nightingale, was bedridden for half of her life with a 
disease now called Brucellosis, which is chronic weakness caused by a 
bacterial infection. It is suspected Nightingale contracted this 
disease by drinking unpasteurized milk while working in the military 
hospital during the war.
Not all of the chapters are serious, with perhaps the silliest chapter 
called, “The Monkey Keepers.” All of the people in this chapter either 
owned monkeys or had an odd affection for them. Unable to carry a 
child to term and deeply distraught, Frida Kahlo’s maternal instincts 
were eventually dedicated toward her pet monkeys, whom she often 
painted fondly.
This book delves into interesting details that aren’t brought up in 
traditional academia. Whenever we learn about historical figures, we 
mostly concentrate on their contributions to society, their big rises 
and downfalls, and ultimately what they have accomplished. Taking a 
look at the personal lives and struggles of some of history’s most 
iconic figures makes them all the more human.
This book brought to life the importance of self-worth and 
determination. Many of the men and women profiled in this book came 
from broken homes, had no family, friends or formal education, yet 
they were able to accomplish something great. Some of these people had 
terrible fears, phobias and insecurities but were able to overcome 
them and become some of the people that we continue to learn about 
centuries after their death.
Half of the people profiled in this book 
were great scholars and geniuses that never gained the same fame as 
some of their peers, also reminding us that life is not fair. Still, 
all of these people, famous or not, showed us that everyone has an 
opportunity to achieve something and make a name for themselves. 
Among the different lessons stands one common theme: death is 
ultimately the ending to all life stories. No matter who we are in 
this life, we will end up just like Leonardo da Vinci, H.G. Wells, and 
Sigmund Freud – dead! If we are lucky, we may take up a paragraph or 
two in history books, too.