Book Review: Nonfiction Challenge 2026 #7

99 Ways to Die And How to Avoid Them by Ashley Alker, M.D.

Read by: Natalie Naudus

Published: January 2026

Summary from Goodreads:

Confession:

This was an interesting and at times, a thought provoking nonfiction book. The author is obviously very knowledgeable about this topic, but most importantly her writing style makes the information easily accessible by all. I also really enjoyed all of the humor and heart that comes through, even when the topic is difficult and at time kind of gross.

I originally intended to both read and listen to the book, but ended up mostly listening to the audiobook. It actually was a great book to listen to as I was driving back and forth between houses. Natalie Naudus does a fabulous job of narrating. She has a very pleasant and steady voice, but was also able to convey sarcasm when needed. I would listen to her again for either a fiction or nonfiction book.

I didn’t count to see if there are actually 99 ways to die in this book, but there certainly are a lot. The book is divided into 13 sections, with many subsections in each. The sections are pretty much what you might expect with broad titles such as infections, brain diseases, drugs, poisons, as well as food and animals. So many things can kill you! The subsections are more specific which makes it easy to find a topic if you want to reread a section.

I was familiar with many of the topics that she discussed in the book, but still managed to learn a few things. For example, I had no idea that a Tylenol overdose could be so lethal. Many of the topics were also more common sense things, like wearing a helmet or seatbelt, don’t eat plants you find in the woods, stay away from hippos and other dangerous animals, get yourself vaccinated. But there was always good examples of what happens when you don’t do these things. The descriptions of the various diseases were also well done as were her emergency room anecdotes.

As interesting as this book was, I was sort of hoping for more bizarre ways to die, but this ended up being much more practical. I did enjoy the author’s humor and use of TV, movie and book references. She does at times get a bit preachy, such as when she talked about vaccines and politics and climate change, but much of what she said was topical and very current.

Overall, if you are looking for an interesting read about how to stay healthy and the things you should avoid, this is the book for you. Told with humor and knowledge of the subject you will probably live a long life if you follow her advice.