Final exits: the illustrated encyclopedia of how we die

500 Pages·2006·42.092 MB·English

by  Largo, Michael

BEAD
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TH.S
THE ILLUSTRATED
HOW WE DIE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
Michael Largo
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Which are more hazardous to longevity:
toothpicks or hghtning?
Cheerleading is one ofthe fastest-growing activities for girls and young
women in the United States. Will it claim more lives than bowling?
Cockroaches have been known to chew the fingernails and
devour the eyelashes ofsleeping children. But are cockroaches the
insects that cause the most deaths? (See: Cockroaches)
Many people suppose that flesh-eating viruses are something only seen
in low-budget sci-fi flicks, but they are very real, and still kill people
in all regions ofthe country. (See: Flesh-EatingVirus)
How many people have died by communicating in sign language?
(See: Gangs and GangWarfare)
Hiccups have killed thousands. Can a spoonful ofsugar
save your life? (See: Hiccups)
Discover the "Sphincter Test" and other strange practices
that have been used to confirm death. (See: Buried Alive)
A
tapeworm can grow to obscene lengths, thriving undetected
inside a person for decades. Find out how many die from
these worms today. (See: Hookworms)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Largo has been collecting statis-
tics and information on the American way
of dying for more than a decade. He is the
author ofthree novels, and he lives with his
family in Miami, Florida.
For more information please visit:
www.FinalExits.com.
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FINAL EXITS. Copyright© 2006byMichael Largo.Allrightsreserved. PrintedintheUnited
States ofAmerica. No part ofthis book may be used or reproduced in any mannerwhatso-
everwithoutwritten permission except in the case ofbriefquotations embodiedin critical
articlesandreviews. Forinformationaddress HarperCollins Pubhshers, 10East 53rd Street,
NewYork,NY10022.
HarperCollins books maybepurchased foreducational, business, orsales promotionaluse.
Forinformationpleasewrite:SpecialMarketsDepartment,HarperCoUinsPublishers, 10East
53rdStreet,NewYork,NY10022.
FIRSTEDITION
TitlepageillustrationcourtesyoftheNationalLibraryofMedicine
DesignedhyJustinDodd
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Largo,Michael.
Finalexits:theillustratedencyclopediaofhowwedie/byMichaelLargo.-
IStHarperpaperbacked.
p,cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN-10:0-06-081741-0
ISBN-13:978-0-06-081741-1
I.Thanatology—Encyclopedias.I.Title.
HQ1073.L372006
3o6.903-dc22 2006041217
09 10 DIX/RRD 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 II