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99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them
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An illuminating, hilarious, and practical guide to 99 of the most terrifying ways to die and how to avoid them from an emergency medicine doctor.
Dr. Ashely Alker is a self-described death-escapologist--or, in more familiar terms, an emergency medicine doctor. She has seen it all, from flesh-eating bacteria to the work of a serial killer to the more mundane but no less deadly, and her work keeping people from dying (or being unable to) has uniquely prepared her to write this book.
99 Ways to And How to Avoid Them is an illuminating, darkly funny, and practical guide to 99 of the most terrifying ways to die and how to avoid them. Dr. Alker manages to scare listeners while making them laugh, preparing them for a wide range of deadly situations and conditions. Each chapter includes stories of her patients pertaining to the chapter’s subject, as well as her related experiences in life and medicine. Sections include categories on sex, poison, drugs, biological warfare, disease, animals, crime, the elements and much more.
An Anthony Bourdain-style greatest hits tour of death, 99 Ways is entertaining while it informs. Quirky yet commercial, it will appeal to fans of everything from The Vagina Bible to Stiff to What If?, as well as the large audience of listeners of bestselling medical books like How Not to Die.
Dr. Ashely Alker is a self-described death-escapologist--or, in more familiar terms, an emergency medicine doctor. She has seen it all, from flesh-eating bacteria to the work of a serial killer to the more mundane but no less deadly, and her work keeping people from dying (or being unable to) has uniquely prepared her to write this book.
99 Ways to And How to Avoid Them is an illuminating, darkly funny, and practical guide to 99 of the most terrifying ways to die and how to avoid them. Dr. Alker manages to scare listeners while making them laugh, preparing them for a wide range of deadly situations and conditions. Each chapter includes stories of her patients pertaining to the chapter’s subject, as well as her related experiences in life and medicine. Sections include categories on sex, poison, drugs, biological warfare, disease, animals, crime, the elements and much more.
An Anthony Bourdain-style greatest hits tour of death, 99 Ways is entertaining while it informs. Quirky yet commercial, it will appeal to fans of everything from The Vagina Bible to Stiff to What If?, as well as the large audience of listeners of bestselling medical books like How Not to Die.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 13, 2026
35 people are currently reading
8481 people want to read
About the author
Ashely Alker
1 book35 followersAshely Alker, M.D., M.Sc., is an emergency medicine physician. During her graduate degree in public health, Dr. Alker studied at Harvard School of Public Health’s International Institute in Cyprus. She lived near the United Nations Green Zone and worked at the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture. After graduating from the George Washington University School of Medicine, Ashely worked as a healthcare advisor for a U.S. Congressman. During her medical residency at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Alker was a technical consultant and medical screenwriter for over twenty television shows, including TV and film for Netflix, HULU, HBO, and Disney. Ashely’s writing focuses on public health education. Her non-profit, Meaningful Media, connects writers, artists, and reporters with certified public health experts to develop scientifically accurate messaging. You can visit Ashely online at aalkerMD.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
September 18, 2025
I received a free copy of, 99 Ways to Die, by Ashely Alker, M.D., from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Dr. Ashely Alker is an Emergency Room doctor, and has seen a lot. From infections, heart disease, not being vaccinated, brain diseases like GBS, STDS, over dose, and drugs, etc, There is so much that can us. Some out of our control from animals or poisons, and some in our control drug use, and not taking care of ourselves. This was an informative read.
December 1, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 13, 2026
Ashely Alker, MD is an emergency room doctor who has consulted on several Hollywood medical shows. With her knowledge, and a fair amount of sarcasm and wit, she has created the hypochondriac’s worst nightmare with her book, “99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them”.
Using anecdotes from her own life, and those of her colleagues and friends, Alker details how everything from viruses, bacteria, poisons, environmental disasters, animals, biological warfare and so much more, can kill humans and what we can do (if anything) to prevent it.
Most of her stories are humorous and some are tragic but all are informative. Alker has covered almost every corner of mortality in human beings in a unique way. She groups the ninety-nine ways in sections, and then sets out to provide as much information as she can on the various topics. I found “99 Ways” educational and entertaining, but there was more than one section that was utterly terrifying.
“99 Ways” is not an easy read, subject-matter wise, but it is easy to read in that there is no dense language or scientific jargon. Alker references chemistry when she needs to (i.e. in the section on chemical weapons), but it doesn’t feel like a high school chemistry class where compounds and elements are being thrown at you and the same can be said for any of the biology or anatomy that shows up. “99 Ways” is a non-fiction medical book, without the complex science.
There, obviously, are sections in the book that can be divisive for readers, such as the section on Covid-19 and Alker’s opinion on vaccines. Anyone who has a strong opinion, and concrete views, on these topics should be aware that Alker’s writing may create some strong emotions, but it’s nothing different from what we’ve experienced during the last five years post-Covid.
I can say with all honesty that I’ve never read anything like “99 Ways”. It is an informative encyclopedia of the human condition, and all of the ways in which the world (and the people in it) can try to take us out. With an appropriate amount of dark humour, Alker’s book is not just for the readers of medical tomes or science journals. “99 Ways” is clever, humorous and will appeal to every one that has a human body on planet Earth and wants to know how to keep it safe.
Expected publication date: Jan. 13, 2026
Ashely Alker, MD is an emergency room doctor who has consulted on several Hollywood medical shows. With her knowledge, and a fair amount of sarcasm and wit, she has created the hypochondriac’s worst nightmare with her book, “99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them”.
Using anecdotes from her own life, and those of her colleagues and friends, Alker details how everything from viruses, bacteria, poisons, environmental disasters, animals, biological warfare and so much more, can kill humans and what we can do (if anything) to prevent it.
Most of her stories are humorous and some are tragic but all are informative. Alker has covered almost every corner of mortality in human beings in a unique way. She groups the ninety-nine ways in sections, and then sets out to provide as much information as she can on the various topics. I found “99 Ways” educational and entertaining, but there was more than one section that was utterly terrifying.
“99 Ways” is not an easy read, subject-matter wise, but it is easy to read in that there is no dense language or scientific jargon. Alker references chemistry when she needs to (i.e. in the section on chemical weapons), but it doesn’t feel like a high school chemistry class where compounds and elements are being thrown at you and the same can be said for any of the biology or anatomy that shows up. “99 Ways” is a non-fiction medical book, without the complex science.
There, obviously, are sections in the book that can be divisive for readers, such as the section on Covid-19 and Alker’s opinion on vaccines. Anyone who has a strong opinion, and concrete views, on these topics should be aware that Alker’s writing may create some strong emotions, but it’s nothing different from what we’ve experienced during the last five years post-Covid.
I can say with all honesty that I’ve never read anything like “99 Ways”. It is an informative encyclopedia of the human condition, and all of the ways in which the world (and the people in it) can try to take us out. With an appropriate amount of dark humour, Alker’s book is not just for the readers of medical tomes or science journals. “99 Ways” is clever, humorous and will appeal to every one that has a human body on planet Earth and wants to know how to keep it safe.
October 22, 2025
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them by Dr. Ashely Alker, M.D. is an encyclopedia of ways to die, studded with insight and anecdote from the author’s work life as an emergency physician.
The book follows an arrangement of short explanations of various things that can land you in the emergency room (and ultimately, the morgue). Arranged into sections like “The Elements” and “Infections,” she spends between a few paragraphs and a few pages on each. For readers that prefer narrative style or long form nonfiction, this isn’t for you. However, it’s a solid primer on a lot of medical/environmental/social issues that can land you in hot water. The topics are sufficiently varied, and even if you don’t find one interesting, there’s always bound to be another within a few pages. The encyclopedic style isn’t anything new, but it is particularly well executed. If anything, it could have benefited from an introduction/overview segment at the start of each section.
Unlike a lot of nonfiction, the author is her own character in this work. Some of the best additions to the book are case studies and anecdotes from her time as a physician, whether that’s talking about hellacious flights in medivac choppers or kids with brain abscesses hiding in plain sight. Her voice is witty, glib, and distinct. She doesn’t ever shy from inserting her own opinions, even politicized ones. Not every chapter gets the personalized treatment, and they’re significantly less interesting.
Where this book wasn’t entirely successful for me was that there was wild tone shifts between, and even within, chapters. At times she is funny, jocular, glib. Then in the same breath things wildly turn academic or somber. Maybe that’s the nature of death and healthcare; it did feel at times like it could have picked a slightly more consistent tone throughout. The chapters, too, could feel inconsistent. In some chapters things would be lightly discussed at a high level, and others were much deeper dives into disease process. The editing just seemed like it could have benefited from a little more conformation between the topics.
In general, I thought this was a really cool primer on a lot of different health topics. It was sort of like “adult health class you wish you’d have had” in the sense that it gave some helpful tips as well as a healthy dose of scare tactics. Do I feel better equipped to avoid death? Perhaps. I’m definitely not going to be picking up any blue ring octopuses or eating any strange street meats from now on. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5.
99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them by Dr. Ashely Alker, M.D. is an encyclopedia of ways to die, studded with insight and anecdote from the author’s work life as an emergency physician.
The book follows an arrangement of short explanations of various things that can land you in the emergency room (and ultimately, the morgue). Arranged into sections like “The Elements” and “Infections,” she spends between a few paragraphs and a few pages on each. For readers that prefer narrative style or long form nonfiction, this isn’t for you. However, it’s a solid primer on a lot of medical/environmental/social issues that can land you in hot water. The topics are sufficiently varied, and even if you don’t find one interesting, there’s always bound to be another within a few pages. The encyclopedic style isn’t anything new, but it is particularly well executed. If anything, it could have benefited from an introduction/overview segment at the start of each section.
Unlike a lot of nonfiction, the author is her own character in this work. Some of the best additions to the book are case studies and anecdotes from her time as a physician, whether that’s talking about hellacious flights in medivac choppers or kids with brain abscesses hiding in plain sight. Her voice is witty, glib, and distinct. She doesn’t ever shy from inserting her own opinions, even politicized ones. Not every chapter gets the personalized treatment, and they’re significantly less interesting.
Where this book wasn’t entirely successful for me was that there was wild tone shifts between, and even within, chapters. At times she is funny, jocular, glib. Then in the same breath things wildly turn academic or somber. Maybe that’s the nature of death and healthcare; it did feel at times like it could have picked a slightly more consistent tone throughout. The chapters, too, could feel inconsistent. In some chapters things would be lightly discussed at a high level, and others were much deeper dives into disease process. The editing just seemed like it could have benefited from a little more conformation between the topics.
In general, I thought this was a really cool primer on a lot of different health topics. It was sort of like “adult health class you wish you’d have had” in the sense that it gave some helpful tips as well as a healthy dose of scare tactics. Do I feel better equipped to avoid death? Perhaps. I’m definitely not going to be picking up any blue ring octopuses or eating any strange street meats from now on. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5.
October 17, 2025
99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them is a smart, snark, and insanely informative book about…well…you guessed it, 99 ways to die. From scorpions to SARS, malaria to meningitis, to lightning strikes to locomotion (there is an entire chapter on this and I need another L word to complete my alliteration), Dr. Ashely Alker covers it all in a witty and engaging way. Moreover, coming from a person who is very prone to health anxiety, there’s absolutely no fear-mongerjng here, which could be very easy to do in a book about deadly things. We’re all going to die, Alker is just trying to help us be a little safer before we do.
I can’t wait to shove this book into friends and customer’s hands once it releases.
OH and P.S. If I didn’t need another reason to love this book, it helped me correctly answer a question at trivia night this past Wednesday.
P.P.S. Avoid hippos at all costs.
I can’t wait to shove this book into friends and customer’s hands once it releases.
OH and P.S. If I didn’t need another reason to love this book, it helped me correctly answer a question at trivia night this past Wednesday.
P.P.S. Avoid hippos at all costs.
November 7, 2025
I rarely wax eloquent about a nonfiction science book, either because the text is dry or there are many inaccuracies. That was not the case for this book! The medical and scientific information was accurate and yet simultaneously witty with a little bit of snark. Some of the explanations were simplified a bit for the lay audience but were detailed enough to provide helpful information and to delight folks like me who are tired of books purporting to be factual but are not. I heartily recommend buying this book; I plan on getting copies as gifts for friends once the hardcover is out, and I urge the author to make this available as an audiobook as I would love to buy audiobook copies for others.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC (which I have been delighted to read); all expressed opinions are my own.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC (which I have been delighted to read); all expressed opinions are my own.
September 16, 2025
This is a book about us: our health. What could be more important?
Medical books can be dull with detailed complex information. Not this one. Dr. Ashely Alker presents it as if you’re having a fun conversation with her at a social event. It’s fascinating like watching a movie where you can’t miss a single thing. Dr. Alker writes from her experiences as an ER physician, a healthcare consultant for a US legislator and an advisor for TV and films.
What kills you? There were many things that I didn’t want to think about: gun violence, tornadoes, fires out of control, poisons, animal attacks, fresh water supply dwindling and always the possibility of a world war. Dr. Alker was in DC in 2011 with a shocking 5.8 earthquake. Me too. People working on our city block went outside -- a big mistake, she said. I remember anthrax too.
It's not surprising that traffic accidents have always been high up on the list. While there are laws and warnings, some people refuse to wear seatbelts! It may be safer to travel distances with the airlines as long as you’re in the right seat.
Much was revealed about brain and heart diseases such as dementia and strokes. Americans love football, skiing, baseball and boxing. She suggested a nice game of chess instead. Then she mentioned viral infections and said to stay clear of bats.
There were parts that gave me chills thinking about snake bites, shark attacks and other ocean creatures. She addressed climate change with more fires than ever, higher temperatures and devastating floods.
This book is a conversation piece. I was amazed how much I learned without feeling overwhelmed. The title with the phrase “how to die” is strong and immediately makes readers curious.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 13, 2026. As always, my opinions are my own.
Medical books can be dull with detailed complex information. Not this one. Dr. Ashely Alker presents it as if you’re having a fun conversation with her at a social event. It’s fascinating like watching a movie where you can’t miss a single thing. Dr. Alker writes from her experiences as an ER physician, a healthcare consultant for a US legislator and an advisor for TV and films.
What kills you? There were many things that I didn’t want to think about: gun violence, tornadoes, fires out of control, poisons, animal attacks, fresh water supply dwindling and always the possibility of a world war. Dr. Alker was in DC in 2011 with a shocking 5.8 earthquake. Me too. People working on our city block went outside -- a big mistake, she said. I remember anthrax too.
It's not surprising that traffic accidents have always been high up on the list. While there are laws and warnings, some people refuse to wear seatbelts! It may be safer to travel distances with the airlines as long as you’re in the right seat.
Much was revealed about brain and heart diseases such as dementia and strokes. Americans love football, skiing, baseball and boxing. She suggested a nice game of chess instead. Then she mentioned viral infections and said to stay clear of bats.
There were parts that gave me chills thinking about snake bites, shark attacks and other ocean creatures. She addressed climate change with more fires than ever, higher temperatures and devastating floods.
This book is a conversation piece. I was amazed how much I learned without feeling overwhelmed. The title with the phrase “how to die” is strong and immediately makes readers curious.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 13, 2026. As always, my opinions are my own.
September 13, 2025
A Brilliant, Moving, and Surprisingly Fun Exploration of Death
I have never read a medical science book quite like this one. From the very first pages—even the acknowledgements—I found myself both laughing and crying. The author is truly gifted with words, weaving together science, storytelling, and humor in a way that makes a heavy subject deeply approachable and even entertaining.
What makes this book stand out is how informative it is without ever feeling dry. Every chapter is filled with fascinating facts and practical information that anyone can benefit from. I learned so much about the human body, medicine, and the many ways our lives can end—but instead of feeling grim, I came away curious, moved, and strangely uplifted.
It’s rare to find a book that makes you laugh while teaching you science, but this one does exactly that. For anyone who loves nonfiction, appreciates brilliant writing, and wants to be surprised by how much joy and meaning can be found in a book about death—this is a must-read.
I have never read a medical science book quite like this one. From the very first pages—even the acknowledgements—I found myself both laughing and crying. The author is truly gifted with words, weaving together science, storytelling, and humor in a way that makes a heavy subject deeply approachable and even entertaining.
What makes this book stand out is how informative it is without ever feeling dry. Every chapter is filled with fascinating facts and practical information that anyone can benefit from. I learned so much about the human body, medicine, and the many ways our lives can end—but instead of feeling grim, I came away curious, moved, and strangely uplifted.
It’s rare to find a book that makes you laugh while teaching you science, but this one does exactly that. For anyone who loves nonfiction, appreciates brilliant writing, and wants to be surprised by how much joy and meaning can be found in a book about death—this is a must-read.
October 20, 2025
Terrible, terrible book. From the snarky tone that made me want to slap the author to the literal wrong information (the Covid section was completely wrong), this book was a real struggle to finish. The only reason I finished it was I wanted to be able to review it. I'd give it NEGATIVE stars if I could.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure the entire thing was sponsored by Big Pharma. All she does is tout how great vaccines are. Give it up! I don't want boosters! I don't want the flu shot! Leave me alone! I would not be surprised if a vaccine manufacturer paid her to write this because even in sections thad nothing to do with vaccines, she was singing their praises. It made no sense—unless there's a financial incentive.
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure the entire thing was sponsored by Big Pharma. All she does is tout how great vaccines are. Give it up! I don't want boosters! I don't want the flu shot! Leave me alone! I would not be surprised if a vaccine manufacturer paid her to write this because even in sections thad nothing to do with vaccines, she was singing their praises. It made no sense—unless there's a financial incentive.
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.
August 11, 2025
This is equal parts survival guide, medical memoir, and darkly comic “well, that escalated quickly” trivia compendium. Dr. Ashely Alker takes you through the many indignities and absurdities of human mortality—from venomous creatures to bad romantic decisions—with the brisk authority of an ER doctor and the dry wit of someone who’s seen it all and still shows up to work anyway.
As a practical resource, it covers a lot of common-sense territory (wash your hands, wear sunscreen, don’t antagonize hippos), which can feel a touch obvious at times, I wouldn’t call these the “most terrifying ways to die,” but Alker sprinkles in humor and oddly specific anecdotes that keep even the more familiar advice from becoming a total slog. It’s not quite a life-changer, but it is the sort of book you can dip into before bed or with your morning coffee, leaving you better informed and maybe slightly more paranoid to live life.
Think of it as a dressed up safety manual: a little outrageous, a little educational, but not above using a dramatic death scenario to make sure you remember to hydrate.
3.5 stars
As a practical resource, it covers a lot of common-sense territory (wash your hands, wear sunscreen, don’t antagonize hippos), which can feel a touch obvious at times, I wouldn’t call these the “most terrifying ways to die,” but Alker sprinkles in humor and oddly specific anecdotes that keep even the more familiar advice from becoming a total slog. It’s not quite a life-changer, but it is the sort of book you can dip into before bed or with your morning coffee, leaving you better informed and maybe slightly more paranoid to live life.
Think of it as a dressed up safety manual: a little outrageous, a little educational, but not above using a dramatic death scenario to make sure you remember to hydrate.
3.5 stars
October 16, 2025
There’s a dry wit to this that’s genuinely infectious (pun fully intended). Alker feels like that one friend (I hope) we all have, that when you leave after spending a few hours with them, your ribs ache from laughter, and you’ve developed a few more lines from the smile that never left your face.
In some ways, 99 Ways to Die creates the unique feeling of childlike wonder. It inspires curiosity, questions, informs books you might want to read, movies you might want to see, people you want to mine the depths of Wikipedia for, and places you probably don’t want to go. I love a book that makes me want to read more - and this one, while it tells you so much, makes you want to learn even more after.
There are so many quotable parts of this book. I won’t do it because the publisher asked me not to, but just know that I wish I could.
Instead, if you’re reading this review and trying to decide whether or not to pick up this book, the answer is - yes. You absolutely should. To take a page out of Red White and Royal Blue’s Alex’s book, here’s an incomplete list of people I think would enjoy this book:
- Students of history (think the Panama Canal, Napoleon, the British Empire, etc.), art history (Prussian blue and paintings of tetanus both get mentions), religion, and the classics (etymology, literature, language, and arts inclusive)
- Crime writers
- Also fanfic writers (and romcoms)
- Trivia fans (approximately the same number of people are killed by hippos each year as die from acetaminophen overdoses in the US - pull that one out for a tie breaker)
- Fans of film, movies, and TV, particularly if you like Disney, House MD, or Lost
- People who need joy - the medical advancements would even make the grinch (pre Cindy Lou Who) feel warmth
- Anyone who’s ever wondered what the WHO, CDC, FDA, and other public health organizations do with their funding
- Spaniards - apparently the US is actually responsible for the Spanish flu. Go figures
- Trans people or those who are really into Egypt (you too can learn fun facts such as why ancient Egypt believed that men also menstruated)
- Fans of Sesame Street: Medicine is like Sesame Street and they will make it so everything starts with C (unfortunately not for cookie)
- Australians
- Those in the market for a new car
- Oh yeah - and doctors
And speaking of Red White and Royal Blue’s Alex, he’s characterized in the book as being short (and defensive about it…classic) and his code name with the secret service (sorry if you have no idea what I’m talking about) is barracuda, which I learned while reading grows to six feet long. The more you know.
And here’s a much more brief list of things I now know but probably wish that I didn’t:
1. there are two locations of smallpox for research purposes post eradication: the US and Russia (coincidentally also the top two homes of serial killers…)
2. The flu vaccine is made from inactivated viruses which means I really don’t have any excuse to not get it each year since it can’t actually make me feel sick and that’s just an unfortunate placebo affect
3. That everyone has a preordained unknowable number of heartbeats
4. Spiders can live 43+ years
5. They never caught the cyanide Tylenol killer
I do wish the asterisks were included as footnotes at the bottom of each page. I don’t always remember what I’m supposed to be qualifying by the time I get to the end of the section. And some of the references to 911 and US specific statistics make this more American centric than it would be otherwise. But if those are the worst parts of this book, I think it’s fairly clear why it easily earned 5 stars.
The main takeaway I had from 99 Ways to Die is something I already knew that has now been impressively reinforced - I will not ever move to Australia. That’s mostly a joke. And as stated above, if you like jokes, you’ll like this book. (The good news is that I also learned from this book that 80% of things in Australia (other than the Australians) are found nowhere else on earth. Phew)
Given her extensive advice to avoid snakes and spiders, something tells me Alker would be horrified by the guy I see on Instagram sometimes “yoinking” and “booping” snakes, spiders, and alligators in the Florida Everglades. They seem to have very different sentiments on the safety of those actions.
I’ve already recommended this book to so many people. It’s truly an incredible, fun, and fascinating read. You should read this! Like for real you really should.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
In some ways, 99 Ways to Die creates the unique feeling of childlike wonder. It inspires curiosity, questions, informs books you might want to read, movies you might want to see, people you want to mine the depths of Wikipedia for, and places you probably don’t want to go. I love a book that makes me want to read more - and this one, while it tells you so much, makes you want to learn even more after.
There are so many quotable parts of this book. I won’t do it because the publisher asked me not to, but just know that I wish I could.
Instead, if you’re reading this review and trying to decide whether or not to pick up this book, the answer is - yes. You absolutely should. To take a page out of Red White and Royal Blue’s Alex’s book, here’s an incomplete list of people I think would enjoy this book:
- Students of history (think the Panama Canal, Napoleon, the British Empire, etc.), art history (Prussian blue and paintings of tetanus both get mentions), religion, and the classics (etymology, literature, language, and arts inclusive)
- Crime writers
- Also fanfic writers (and romcoms)
- Trivia fans (approximately the same number of people are killed by hippos each year as die from acetaminophen overdoses in the US - pull that one out for a tie breaker)
- Fans of film, movies, and TV, particularly if you like Disney, House MD, or Lost
- People who need joy - the medical advancements would even make the grinch (pre Cindy Lou Who) feel warmth
- Anyone who’s ever wondered what the WHO, CDC, FDA, and other public health organizations do with their funding
- Spaniards - apparently the US is actually responsible for the Spanish flu. Go figures
- Trans people or those who are really into Egypt (you too can learn fun facts such as why ancient Egypt believed that men also menstruated)
- Fans of Sesame Street: Medicine is like Sesame Street and they will make it so everything starts with C (unfortunately not for cookie)
- Australians
- Those in the market for a new car
- Oh yeah - and doctors
And speaking of Red White and Royal Blue’s Alex, he’s characterized in the book as being short (and defensive about it…classic) and his code name with the secret service (sorry if you have no idea what I’m talking about) is barracuda, which I learned while reading grows to six feet long. The more you know.
And here’s a much more brief list of things I now know but probably wish that I didn’t:
1. there are two locations of smallpox for research purposes post eradication: the US and Russia (coincidentally also the top two homes of serial killers…)
2. The flu vaccine is made from inactivated viruses which means I really don’t have any excuse to not get it each year since it can’t actually make me feel sick and that’s just an unfortunate placebo affect
3. That everyone has a preordained unknowable number of heartbeats
4. Spiders can live 43+ years
5. They never caught the cyanide Tylenol killer
I do wish the asterisks were included as footnotes at the bottom of each page. I don’t always remember what I’m supposed to be qualifying by the time I get to the end of the section. And some of the references to 911 and US specific statistics make this more American centric than it would be otherwise. But if those are the worst parts of this book, I think it’s fairly clear why it easily earned 5 stars.
The main takeaway I had from 99 Ways to Die is something I already knew that has now been impressively reinforced - I will not ever move to Australia. That’s mostly a joke. And as stated above, if you like jokes, you’ll like this book. (The good news is that I also learned from this book that 80% of things in Australia (other than the Australians) are found nowhere else on earth. Phew)
Given her extensive advice to avoid snakes and spiders, something tells me Alker would be horrified by the guy I see on Instagram sometimes “yoinking” and “booping” snakes, spiders, and alligators in the Florida Everglades. They seem to have very different sentiments on the safety of those actions.
I’ve already recommended this book to so many people. It’s truly an incredible, fun, and fascinating read. You should read this! Like for real you really should.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
December 3, 2025
This one was not what I expected. I thought there was going to be a lot of interesting stories from the emergency room. There really wasn’t.
Don’t read if you’re a hypochondriac. Or a helicopter mom. Just don’t.
This book is super technical in places. Probably great for doctors, but not so much for the average person who is reading this.
Random pacing and tangents. A chapter about tick-borne diseases turned into a rant about insurance companies and metrics. A section on the hyatid worm, which only shows up about 5 times a year in the U. S., turned into a diatribe about how the U.S. leaves its patients behind. While I don’t disagree with her assertions, they seemed ill-placed.
Some of the author’s comments are absolutely hilarious. Reading about rabies shouldn’t make me laugh, but it did…
I did learn quite a bit from this book and I will try to remember the lessons, while not becoming paranoid that death is around every corner.
This one releases on January 13, 2926. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Don’t read if you’re a hypochondriac. Or a helicopter mom. Just don’t.
This book is super technical in places. Probably great for doctors, but not so much for the average person who is reading this.
Random pacing and tangents. A chapter about tick-borne diseases turned into a rant about insurance companies and metrics. A section on the hyatid worm, which only shows up about 5 times a year in the U. S., turned into a diatribe about how the U.S. leaves its patients behind. While I don’t disagree with her assertions, they seemed ill-placed.
Some of the author’s comments are absolutely hilarious. Reading about rabies shouldn’t make me laugh, but it did…
I did learn quite a bit from this book and I will try to remember the lessons, while not becoming paranoid that death is around every corner.
This one releases on January 13, 2926. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 13, 2025
I fear this is all I’ll be talking about for the foreseeable future.
Honestly, I haven’t been this excited about a book since reading Mary Roach’s Stiff. I’m sure that says something about me, but I’d rather not linger on it.
99 Ways to Die is both wildly informative and darkly comedic. I so appreciate the author’s ability to teach while entertaining, though I admit she’s also left me slightly more anxious about my odds of survival.
The book is divided into various categories, including infections, heart disease, sex, animals, poison and crime. I particularly enjoyed the subsection on Australian fauna. If I didn’t already believe Australia had the power to smite me, I certainly do now.
If I have one critique, it’s that I think the book would benefit from illustrations or photographs. Perhaps the concern was that it might veer too graphic, but in cases of infections and diseases, visuals would have been helpful. And honestly, who wouldn’t want to gaze at an adorable koala while simultaneously learning the myriad ways it might kill you?
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ashley Alker, M.D., for this advanced copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Honestly, I haven’t been this excited about a book since reading Mary Roach’s Stiff. I’m sure that says something about me, but I’d rather not linger on it.
99 Ways to Die is both wildly informative and darkly comedic. I so appreciate the author’s ability to teach while entertaining, though I admit she’s also left me slightly more anxious about my odds of survival.
The book is divided into various categories, including infections, heart disease, sex, animals, poison and crime. I particularly enjoyed the subsection on Australian fauna. If I didn’t already believe Australia had the power to smite me, I certainly do now.
If I have one critique, it’s that I think the book would benefit from illustrations or photographs. Perhaps the concern was that it might veer too graphic, but in cases of infections and diseases, visuals would have been helpful. And honestly, who wouldn’t want to gaze at an adorable koala while simultaneously learning the myriad ways it might kill you?
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ashley Alker, M.D., for this advanced copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
October 21, 2025
Being one of those “let’s think of every possible worst case scenario” people, I figured 99 ways to Die (and How to Avoid Them) would be right up my alley.
Dr. Ashely Alker serves up a host of things that can kill us—from environmental causes, animals, food, other humans—in easily digestible sections. Her frank and often sarcastic commentary make an otherwise straightforward medical text infinitely more enjoyable, though I would recommend this as a coffee table book to read here and there rather than straight though, as I did for this review. And of course some there’s a wide variety of information, so of course not everything will apply to everyone (I most likely won’t be traveling to Australia and messing with their wild life!).
I also appreciate that the tone of the book is informative rather than preachy and while a lot of the pages include common sense and general knowledge (not giving babies honey was mentioned as a biggie, but don’t most people know this?), there’s plenty that’s either novel or a good reminder.
Thanks to the publisher for making this book available to read and review through NetGalley.
Dr. Ashely Alker serves up a host of things that can kill us—from environmental causes, animals, food, other humans—in easily digestible sections. Her frank and often sarcastic commentary make an otherwise straightforward medical text infinitely more enjoyable, though I would recommend this as a coffee table book to read here and there rather than straight though, as I did for this review. And of course some there’s a wide variety of information, so of course not everything will apply to everyone (I most likely won’t be traveling to Australia and messing with their wild life!).
I also appreciate that the tone of the book is informative rather than preachy and while a lot of the pages include common sense and general knowledge (not giving babies honey was mentioned as a biggie, but don’t most people know this?), there’s plenty that’s either novel or a good reminder.
Thanks to the publisher for making this book available to read and review through NetGalley.
December 21, 2025
Thank you to @StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #99WaysToDie. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The author is an emergency physician and her "seen everything" approach to the many things that can kill us makes for a pretty fun read. Broken down into broad sections like infections, Alker provides brief explanations of the various things that can kill. All of the science is explained in a way that is easy to understand. They are often illustrated with stories from the ER trenches and told with a good amount of humor.
Some of the topics/sections aren't given as much attention or lack the humor and that creates a bit of an uneven reading experience, but overall, this was an educational and funny read and it reminded me a little of Mary Roach.
The author is an emergency physician and her "seen everything" approach to the many things that can kill us makes for a pretty fun read. Broken down into broad sections like infections, Alker provides brief explanations of the various things that can kill. All of the science is explained in a way that is easy to understand. They are often illustrated with stories from the ER trenches and told with a good amount of humor.
Some of the topics/sections aren't given as much attention or lack the humor and that creates a bit of an uneven reading experience, but overall, this was an educational and funny read and it reminded me a little of Mary Roach.
November 5, 2025
At first glance this might not be the best book to read for someone that has an irrational fear of death. Despite that this sounded super interesting and I decided that I had to read it.
This book covered a bunch of different things that can and have killed people. It is written in an easy to digest manner with a really good sense of humor sprinkling jokes all throughout. I loved this book so much. I read it in a single day. I just couldn’t put it down. Each topic was super interesting. There was a good combination of things that are well known and more niche topics that not a lot of people are going to know about before hand. I had an amazing time with this, I highly recommend it, and I really want to read more from the author in the future.
This book covered a bunch of different things that can and have killed people. It is written in an easy to digest manner with a really good sense of humor sprinkling jokes all throughout. I loved this book so much. I read it in a single day. I just couldn’t put it down. Each topic was super interesting. There was a good combination of things that are well known and more niche topics that not a lot of people are going to know about before hand. I had an amazing time with this, I highly recommend it, and I really want to read more from the author in the future.
September 15, 2025
Hi, death? Facts? Love.
This book is not organized the way I thought something like this would be, but I am not mad. I love the pithy summaries for each cause. It makes for an easy read.
This book is not organized the way I thought something like this would be, but I am not mad. I love the pithy summaries for each cause. It makes for an easy read.
October 22, 2025
99 Ways To Die: And How to Avoid Them by Ashley Alker, MD ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An emergency room doctor shares her knowledge of all the different ways to die and how to avoid them. Sections include sex, drugs, animals, biological warfare, poisons, disease, crime, the elements, and more.
For anyone who enjoys medical and science talk, you’ll want this one. It was so interesting. Even the less thrilling topics were fun to read; I was not bored for a moment. I loved the way it was categorized so you don’t have to read it in the exact order but can pick and choose your sections. I read the kindle version but the physical copy would make a great coffee table or guest room book.
“We all pick our poison, but this smoking is nearly guaranteed to affect your health. Consider a safer vice, like cage diving with great white sharks.”
99 Ways to Die comes out 1/13.
An emergency room doctor shares her knowledge of all the different ways to die and how to avoid them. Sections include sex, drugs, animals, biological warfare, poisons, disease, crime, the elements, and more.
For anyone who enjoys medical and science talk, you’ll want this one. It was so interesting. Even the less thrilling topics were fun to read; I was not bored for a moment. I loved the way it was categorized so you don’t have to read it in the exact order but can pick and choose your sections. I read the kindle version but the physical copy would make a great coffee table or guest room book.
“We all pick our poison, but this smoking is nearly guaranteed to affect your health. Consider a safer vice, like cage diving with great white sharks.”
99 Ways to Die comes out 1/13.
November 26, 2025
review to come
September 23, 2025
Ashely Alker, MD, has put together the most delightful version of ways you can die possible, mixing both the routine, unexpected and most horrific ways you can imagine. Experimentation not recommended.
Her mostly lighthearted approach will help you get past most of your reluctance to read this book, but I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure that she’s scared me off of swimming in any fresh body of water that isn’t heavily chlorinated, especially with any kind of open cut or wound.
Dr. Alker covers a full spectrum of ways you can die including ones typically associated with medicine, including viruses, bacteria, diseases, cancer, heart problems and the fun little (really REALLY little guys) that can cross the blood brain barrier.
Never fear (or perhaps do, if you want to live) there’s other things that can kill you too. She features entire chapters on weapons, animals, transportation, food, the elements, and more!
While we’re all going to do eventually die of some cause, and like many people I prefer it be in my sleep where I don’t feel a thing, the moral of this book is that a lot of these ways you can die are pretty preventable when taking reasonable precautions.
Get your vaccinations. Wash your hands. Cook your meat thoroughly if you eat it. Don’t take recreational drugs or overdose on the ones you’re legally allowed to take. Get tested and have protected sex. Don’t go rooting around in spaces where you’re likely to piss off a snake, spider or scorpion. And don’t have Batman as a role model, because apparently letting disease carrying rodents in your home is a bad idea.
I’m not going to give everything away because while it may keep you alive without reading the book, what fun would that be? Plus Dr. Alker deserves compensation for her hard work.
This book is a lot of fun for being about death, and Dr. Alker does a pretty good job of explaining most medical terminology. In some places she probably could have explained a little more but it’s not going to stop the average reader from getting the gist of the suffering they could experience.
Every once in a while she does also get off on a tangent that has either a very tenuous connection to what she’s currently covering or almost nothing at all, but that didn’t stop me either.
Given the subject matter I wouldn’t say this book is flat-out funny (laughing is not one of the ways she covers in how you can die), but it is interesting and amusing at points, and I would recommend it for people that aren’t going to get paranoid and lock themselves up in a sterile environment after reading it.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Her mostly lighthearted approach will help you get past most of your reluctance to read this book, but I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure that she’s scared me off of swimming in any fresh body of water that isn’t heavily chlorinated, especially with any kind of open cut or wound.
Dr. Alker covers a full spectrum of ways you can die including ones typically associated with medicine, including viruses, bacteria, diseases, cancer, heart problems and the fun little (really REALLY little guys) that can cross the blood brain barrier.
Never fear (or perhaps do, if you want to live) there’s other things that can kill you too. She features entire chapters on weapons, animals, transportation, food, the elements, and more!
While we’re all going to do eventually die of some cause, and like many people I prefer it be in my sleep where I don’t feel a thing, the moral of this book is that a lot of these ways you can die are pretty preventable when taking reasonable precautions.
Get your vaccinations. Wash your hands. Cook your meat thoroughly if you eat it. Don’t take recreational drugs or overdose on the ones you’re legally allowed to take. Get tested and have protected sex. Don’t go rooting around in spaces where you’re likely to piss off a snake, spider or scorpion. And don’t have Batman as a role model, because apparently letting disease carrying rodents in your home is a bad idea.
I’m not going to give everything away because while it may keep you alive without reading the book, what fun would that be? Plus Dr. Alker deserves compensation for her hard work.
This book is a lot of fun for being about death, and Dr. Alker does a pretty good job of explaining most medical terminology. In some places she probably could have explained a little more but it’s not going to stop the average reader from getting the gist of the suffering they could experience.
Every once in a while she does also get off on a tangent that has either a very tenuous connection to what she’s currently covering or almost nothing at all, but that didn’t stop me either.
Given the subject matter I wouldn’t say this book is flat-out funny (laughing is not one of the ways she covers in how you can die), but it is interesting and amusing at points, and I would recommend it for people that aren’t going to get paranoid and lock themselves up in a sterile environment after reading it.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 25, 2025
This was this book I didn’t know I needed.
What I loved:
The simplistic explanations of the different diseases
The variety of diseases covered
The parasites were the most interesting of the book and the animal section.
And the afterlife section.
Really the whole book was extremely interesting.
It was information delivered the best way and it kept me reading to learn more
What I didn’t love, nothing. Although photos would have been really cool.
Thank you to St Martins Press for the early copy. I’m not sure why I picked to read this, but I’m so glad I did now.
What I loved:
The simplistic explanations of the different diseases
The variety of diseases covered
The parasites were the most interesting of the book and the animal section.
And the afterlife section.
Really the whole book was extremely interesting.
It was information delivered the best way and it kept me reading to learn more
What I didn’t love, nothing. Although photos would have been really cool.
Thank you to St Martins Press for the early copy. I’m not sure why I picked to read this, but I’m so glad I did now.
September 13, 2025
This one is a must read! Witty, informational and so intriguing. Recommend to everyone!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at numerous ways that a person can meet their mortal end, from disease to war, cars to drugs, animals and the slow breakdown of that incredible machine we call the human body.
May you live in interesting times is both words of encouragement and a curse. And I can't think of more interesting times than now and the near future. We might find cures for diseases that plague us. Maybe the government will roll back more things that will kill us faster. The future is unknown. What we do know is that there are many things that are out to get us. Aging bodies, and young children dealing with sickness. The modes of transportation we use everyday. Chemicals from common aspirin, to designer party drugs can if used incorrectly lead to quick ends. Mother nature and the constant fear of gun violence. And spiders. Don't forget spiders. I know enough to be concerned about many of these things. To see them all plus one I never thought about make me afraid to get out of bed in the morning. However I am glad there are medical people who even with all the grief the medical profession is receiving right now, care to talk about this things, and even more try to keep us alive. 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them, by Ashely Alker, M.D. is a chapter by chapter guide to all the things in the world that could end us, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, treatments for, how to avoid, and in some cases, maybe even accept the end that awaits us all.
The book is broken into sections with each one covering a different topic. I had thought this was just a medical book, but it is a whole lot more, and whole lot more informative than I had thought. Dr. Alker covers quite a lot of subjects, medical, drug, herbal medicines, diseases and subjects about aging, but also threats from war, gun violence, the elements, and also transportation. Dr. Alker is a emergency room doctor, who has traveled and studied all over the world and brings much of this to her writing. Sections deal with heart attacks, brain diseases, modern plagues like ebola, and others that might be new to people. Volcanos, earthquakes, even being hit by lightening. Dr. Alker explains the basics, and gives lots of examples, many based on Dr. Alker's experiences dealing with patients, or in the many varied places that that Dr. Alker has trained or worked at.
The book is again, a lot more than I expected. I thought the subject matter was all about medical ways of dying, but the book is a lot more than that. Dr. Alker is a very good writer. Even better Dr. Alker likes working in medicine. And you can tell Dr. Alker is very good at being a doctor. Dr. Alker makes thing relatable and understandable. Dr. Alker is a black cloud, one that seems to attract difficult cases, and pediatric cases also, which Dr. Alker details in the book. One gets a real understanding of what working in an Emergency room is like, and how devastating it must be working in medicine today. In addition to tales of mortality, there are questions of morality, of insurance, customer ratings for care, patients doing their own research, or those too uninterested to understand why their child is sick. There is a broad range of writing here, and I learned quite a bit, even if it was about volcanos, warfare, and the difference between children and adults in showing symptoms.
I thought this book was going to be a lark, but it was so much more. Funny in places, maybe a little graveyard for some, but always fascinating with lots of information on each page. Sometimes a squeamish amount, but that is a good thing. I learned much, and really enjoyed this book. I look forward to more by Dr. Alker, and learning more about the world.
May you live in interesting times is both words of encouragement and a curse. And I can't think of more interesting times than now and the near future. We might find cures for diseases that plague us. Maybe the government will roll back more things that will kill us faster. The future is unknown. What we do know is that there are many things that are out to get us. Aging bodies, and young children dealing with sickness. The modes of transportation we use everyday. Chemicals from common aspirin, to designer party drugs can if used incorrectly lead to quick ends. Mother nature and the constant fear of gun violence. And spiders. Don't forget spiders. I know enough to be concerned about many of these things. To see them all plus one I never thought about make me afraid to get out of bed in the morning. However I am glad there are medical people who even with all the grief the medical profession is receiving right now, care to talk about this things, and even more try to keep us alive. 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them, by Ashely Alker, M.D. is a chapter by chapter guide to all the things in the world that could end us, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, treatments for, how to avoid, and in some cases, maybe even accept the end that awaits us all.
The book is broken into sections with each one covering a different topic. I had thought this was just a medical book, but it is a whole lot more, and whole lot more informative than I had thought. Dr. Alker covers quite a lot of subjects, medical, drug, herbal medicines, diseases and subjects about aging, but also threats from war, gun violence, the elements, and also transportation. Dr. Alker is a emergency room doctor, who has traveled and studied all over the world and brings much of this to her writing. Sections deal with heart attacks, brain diseases, modern plagues like ebola, and others that might be new to people. Volcanos, earthquakes, even being hit by lightening. Dr. Alker explains the basics, and gives lots of examples, many based on Dr. Alker's experiences dealing with patients, or in the many varied places that that Dr. Alker has trained or worked at.
The book is again, a lot more than I expected. I thought the subject matter was all about medical ways of dying, but the book is a lot more than that. Dr. Alker is a very good writer. Even better Dr. Alker likes working in medicine. And you can tell Dr. Alker is very good at being a doctor. Dr. Alker makes thing relatable and understandable. Dr. Alker is a black cloud, one that seems to attract difficult cases, and pediatric cases also, which Dr. Alker details in the book. One gets a real understanding of what working in an Emergency room is like, and how devastating it must be working in medicine today. In addition to tales of mortality, there are questions of morality, of insurance, customer ratings for care, patients doing their own research, or those too uninterested to understand why their child is sick. There is a broad range of writing here, and I learned quite a bit, even if it was about volcanos, warfare, and the difference between children and adults in showing symptoms.
I thought this book was going to be a lark, but it was so much more. Funny in places, maybe a little graveyard for some, but always fascinating with lots of information on each page. Sometimes a squeamish amount, but that is a good thing. I learned much, and really enjoyed this book. I look forward to more by Dr. Alker, and learning more about the world.
December 8, 2025
This was a fun, informative, fascinating, and overall delightful read. I knew pretty early on into reading this one that it would be a five star for me. Some of the negative reviews mentioning not liking the tone, but I found the dark humor pretty consistent with every healthcare worker I’ve ever met. I also thought the humor made some of the more unbearable parts easier to read, and she was very sincere in chapters that called for it.
The book is divided into thirteen sections as a broad category followed by chapter long subcategories. Each chapter is relatively short and fast to read, but having 99 of them made it difficult to read in one sitting. That being said, it was very easy to pick up the book after putting it down, and I found myself wishing for my kindle during particularly boring moments of the day.
As a slightly morbid person that is in school to go into the healthcare field, I had a great time reading this. You can definitely tell that the author is a little morbid herself, but I don’t think that you can go into emergency medicine and not be just the slightest bit. Most chapters are told in an almost lighthearted manner, using dark humor as a way to alleviate the otherwise dire discussion of death.
The author’s vast experience also makes this both a fascinating and informative read. Reading some of the stories from her time working, as well as stories she has pulled from history and pop culture, really brought life to each of the chapters. I learned a lot of things, and I managed to only be grossed out during the tape worm chapter (worth skipping if you’re squeamish).
Finally, I just want to discuss how the author builds on each topic until overall reaching a thesis that current policy is detrimental to healthcare. Reading it while RFK Jr. is currently doing further damage to the already broken healthcare system in our country made for a very vivid reading experience.
Highly recommend this one, and I will be buying it for myself when it comes out.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book is divided into thirteen sections as a broad category followed by chapter long subcategories. Each chapter is relatively short and fast to read, but having 99 of them made it difficult to read in one sitting. That being said, it was very easy to pick up the book after putting it down, and I found myself wishing for my kindle during particularly boring moments of the day.
As a slightly morbid person that is in school to go into the healthcare field, I had a great time reading this. You can definitely tell that the author is a little morbid herself, but I don’t think that you can go into emergency medicine and not be just the slightest bit. Most chapters are told in an almost lighthearted manner, using dark humor as a way to alleviate the otherwise dire discussion of death.
The author’s vast experience also makes this both a fascinating and informative read. Reading some of the stories from her time working, as well as stories she has pulled from history and pop culture, really brought life to each of the chapters. I learned a lot of things, and I managed to only be grossed out during the tape worm chapter (worth skipping if you’re squeamish).
Finally, I just want to discuss how the author builds on each topic until overall reaching a thesis that current policy is detrimental to healthcare. Reading it while RFK Jr. is currently doing further damage to the already broken healthcare system in our country made for a very vivid reading experience.
Highly recommend this one, and I will be buying it for myself when it comes out.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2025
5 out of 5 stars
Humor is not the first thing you think of when discussing a book about death, but Ashely Alker, MD has a way with words that bring light to a serious topic.
99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them is as the title suggests. The book covers how infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, heart diseases, brain diseases, sex, drugs, animals, poison, food, locomotion, crime, the elements, and warfare can potentially kill you and how to avoid these deaths. Each topic is broken down into specific items and, at times, goes into the gritty details of how each topic kills. Even with grim details, Dr. Alker manages to sprinkle in the occasional joke or entertaining commentary that makes this work easier and more enjoyable to read.
I really enjoyed this book. It covered interesting topics and the semi-humorous approach to a difficult subject kept me engaged, and I did not want to put it down. With a wide range of ways to kill a person, I found some chapters more entertaining than others. This is based purely off personal interests and has nothing to do with the writing of the book. Each section is thoroughly researched and well written. The personal experience of Dr. Alker makes the reading more detailed, and her expertise lends to the credibility of this book. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on infections, animals, and the elements because those spoke more to my interests than the other subjects, but I liked the whole book overall.
Even though this book covers a difficult topic, I consider this a fun read. My own morbid curiosity devoured this work, and I found myself wanting to know other ways to die. However, with the detailed descriptions of how each item can kill a person, some sections of this book are better skipped for those with weak stomachs. I know I made some grossed-out expressions when reading the infections section. But if you’re interested in morbid books, then I highly recommend picking up this book.
Humor is not the first thing you think of when discussing a book about death, but Ashely Alker, MD has a way with words that bring light to a serious topic.
99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them is as the title suggests. The book covers how infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, heart diseases, brain diseases, sex, drugs, animals, poison, food, locomotion, crime, the elements, and warfare can potentially kill you and how to avoid these deaths. Each topic is broken down into specific items and, at times, goes into the gritty details of how each topic kills. Even with grim details, Dr. Alker manages to sprinkle in the occasional joke or entertaining commentary that makes this work easier and more enjoyable to read.
I really enjoyed this book. It covered interesting topics and the semi-humorous approach to a difficult subject kept me engaged, and I did not want to put it down. With a wide range of ways to kill a person, I found some chapters more entertaining than others. This is based purely off personal interests and has nothing to do with the writing of the book. Each section is thoroughly researched and well written. The personal experience of Dr. Alker makes the reading more detailed, and her expertise lends to the credibility of this book. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on infections, animals, and the elements because those spoke more to my interests than the other subjects, but I liked the whole book overall.
Even though this book covers a difficult topic, I consider this a fun read. My own morbid curiosity devoured this work, and I found myself wanting to know other ways to die. However, with the detailed descriptions of how each item can kill a person, some sections of this book are better skipped for those with weak stomachs. I know I made some grossed-out expressions when reading the infections section. But if you’re interested in morbid books, then I highly recommend picking up this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When reading a medical book, you expect it to be dry. Dr. Alker not only organizes the information into easy-to-follow chapters that contain some real eye-openers, but she also sprinkles it with humor to offset the shocking content.
Dr. Alker is an Emergency Room doctor, which means she’s seen it all when it comes to the various ways life can throw us a curveball. From infections and diseases to the repercussions of not being vaccinated, STDs, overdoses, biological and chemical weapons, and dangerous animals, this book dives into the myriad of dangers lurking around us.
A couple of terrifying takeaways from this book for me are: rethink eating pork because swine can carry up to 40 parasites, go to the hospital if I find a bat in my room because you cannot feel a bat bite, and don’t believe everything you see on TV!
What I appreciated most about this book is that Dr. Alker doesn’t just regurgitate medical jargon. She lays it out plain and simple, highlighting that some threats are entirely out of our control, such as being bitten by a venomous snake or being exposed to toxic substances. But she also emphasizes that there are plenty of danger zones we can actually manage, like drug use, neglecting our health, and overall lifestyle choices. It’s one of those reads that may inspire you to take a closer look at your health and take action before it’s too late.
I don’t recommend this book to hypochondriacs if you want to stay sane, but if you’re looking for a book that’s both educational and a little sobering, this book might be your next read. Stay safe out there!
Thank you to Dr. Alker for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
Dr. Alker is an Emergency Room doctor, which means she’s seen it all when it comes to the various ways life can throw us a curveball. From infections and diseases to the repercussions of not being vaccinated, STDs, overdoses, biological and chemical weapons, and dangerous animals, this book dives into the myriad of dangers lurking around us.
A couple of terrifying takeaways from this book for me are: rethink eating pork because swine can carry up to 40 parasites, go to the hospital if I find a bat in my room because you cannot feel a bat bite, and don’t believe everything you see on TV!
What I appreciated most about this book is that Dr. Alker doesn’t just regurgitate medical jargon. She lays it out plain and simple, highlighting that some threats are entirely out of our control, such as being bitten by a venomous snake or being exposed to toxic substances. But she also emphasizes that there are plenty of danger zones we can actually manage, like drug use, neglecting our health, and overall lifestyle choices. It’s one of those reads that may inspire you to take a closer look at your health and take action before it’s too late.
I don’t recommend this book to hypochondriacs if you want to stay sane, but if you’re looking for a book that’s both educational and a little sobering, this book might be your next read. Stay safe out there!
Thank you to Dr. Alker for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
99 Ways to Die by Ashely Alker is a darkly funny, fast-paced tour through the many alarming ways the human body can fail and how to avoid becoming an ER cautionary tale. Written by an emergency medicine physician who has truly seen it all, this book blends gallows humor, practical safety advice, and just enough medical detail to be both informative and unsettling.
Each short chapter focuses on a specific danger, ranging from the bizarre to the painfully ordinary, and is anchored by patient stories or professional anecdotes. Alker has a knack for making serious material accessible: she explains complex medical risks clearly, keeps the tone light without being flippant, and often manages to make you laugh just as you’re realizing you may never look at everyday activities the same way again.
That said, the sheer volume of scenarios can feel repetitive over time, and some entries are more compelling than others. Readers looking for deep dives into physiology or systemic medical issues may find the treatment a bit surface-level, while anxious readers might want to pace themselves. The episodic structure makes it easy to dip in and out, but it doesn’t always build momentum.
Still, 99 Ways to Die succeeds at what it sets out to do: entertain, educate, and make you just a little more aware of how fragile, and also surprisingly resilient, the human body can be. It’s an enjoyable, eye-opening read for fans of popular medical nonfiction and anyone with a strong sense of humor about mortality.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on January 13, 2026.
Each short chapter focuses on a specific danger, ranging from the bizarre to the painfully ordinary, and is anchored by patient stories or professional anecdotes. Alker has a knack for making serious material accessible: she explains complex medical risks clearly, keeps the tone light without being flippant, and often manages to make you laugh just as you’re realizing you may never look at everyday activities the same way again.
That said, the sheer volume of scenarios can feel repetitive over time, and some entries are more compelling than others. Readers looking for deep dives into physiology or systemic medical issues may find the treatment a bit surface-level, while anxious readers might want to pace themselves. The episodic structure makes it easy to dip in and out, but it doesn’t always build momentum.
Still, 99 Ways to Die succeeds at what it sets out to do: entertain, educate, and make you just a little more aware of how fragile, and also surprisingly resilient, the human body can be. It’s an enjoyable, eye-opening read for fans of popular medical nonfiction and anyone with a strong sense of humor about mortality.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on January 13, 2026.
October 19, 2025
In a very approachable style, with movie references and wry humor, Dr. Alker is the type of person that you’d love to meet at a party, but never in a professional capacity. As a doctor, she’s there during the worst day of her patients’ lives. She is also a medical consultant on TV shows, so many chapters start there, because it’s what most of us are familiar with. Here, you’ll find many things that are lethal to humans, and what to do if you’re ever afflicted or confronted by them. From food to nuclear war, she covers a lot. My favorite chapter was the one about animals (maybe because my last words will probably be “look, what a cute/interesting (bear, snake, bug… insert animal here)”. Other chapters were a little too technical, including physics and chemistry. I’m surprised that the book is only 352 pages long, because it seemed a little longer, probably because it’s densely packed with information. The political stuff is kept to a minimum, even when discussing hot-topic issues like abortion or gun safety. She is also very enthusiastic about vaccines. There is a nice recap in the end. Note to self: never visit Australia and move to Antarctica, now that I know how to combat hypothermia, thanks to this book. Entertaining and informative but probably not for hypochondriacs.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press.
November 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an unbiased review.
2.5 stars, rounded up.
Oof, this was a massive disappointment.
I am a science nerd, and I adore weird, gross trivia. I love everything Mary Roach has ever written (except that Reader's Digest crap). So when I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it: An ER doc lists 99 ways to die that she's witnessed, and shares the "hilarious" stories to go with them.
But this book suffered from several problems.
1. The editing was awful. The book itself is way too long and repetitive, there are far too many chapters and subjects, the technical detail is far too much for a casual reader, and the anecdotes don't seem to make sense with the chapter's subject.
2. This book could have been a fun, yet informative romp through potential fatalities. Instead, the reader is overloaded with background and technical data that, if the reader is like me, WE DID NOT SIGN UP FOR. Even the entire How Sex Can Kill You chapter manages to be boring.
3. The author's voice has occasional sparks of humor, but for the most part feels forced, immature, and poorly scribed.
After taking 4 days just to get through 35% of this book, I did something I almost never do: I skimmed the rest. It was just not engaging, and reading this book felt like work.
It's truly a shame, because this book had SO much potential.
2.5 stars, rounded up.
Oof, this was a massive disappointment.
I am a science nerd, and I adore weird, gross trivia. I love everything Mary Roach has ever written (except that Reader's Digest crap). So when I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it: An ER doc lists 99 ways to die that she's witnessed, and shares the "hilarious" stories to go with them.
But this book suffered from several problems.
1. The editing was awful. The book itself is way too long and repetitive, there are far too many chapters and subjects, the technical detail is far too much for a casual reader, and the anecdotes don't seem to make sense with the chapter's subject.
2. This book could have been a fun, yet informative romp through potential fatalities. Instead, the reader is overloaded with background and technical data that, if the reader is like me, WE DID NOT SIGN UP FOR. Even the entire How Sex Can Kill You chapter manages to be boring.
3. The author's voice has occasional sparks of humor, but for the most part feels forced, immature, and poorly scribed.
After taking 4 days just to get through 35% of this book, I did something I almost never do: I skimmed the rest. It was just not engaging, and reading this book felt like work.
It's truly a shame, because this book had SO much potential.
October 27, 2025
I’ll admit it—I picked up 99 Ways to Die because I have a fascination with strange medical stories and morbid humor. Dr. Ashley Alker did not disappoint in that regard. From animal attacks to mysterious poisons to everyday objects turned deadly, she covers it all with the dry wit of someone who’s seen the worst and lived to tell about it.
The tone reminded me a little of Anthony Bourdain or Mary Roach: smart, sarcastic, and unafraid to dive into the weird. The anecdotes from her time in emergency medicine were my favorite parts, offering glimpses of humanity and heartbreak amid the chaos.
Still, some chapters felt rushed, as if the author was racing through the list rather than exploring each topic with depth. It’s definitely more of a “dip-in-and-out” kind of book rather than one to binge cover to cover.
If you love darkly funny nonfiction and don’t mind a little medical mayhem, you’ll probably find this entertaining. It’s not a must-read, but it’s a memorable one—and who knows, it might even save your life someday.
ARC reader review.
The tone reminded me a little of Anthony Bourdain or Mary Roach: smart, sarcastic, and unafraid to dive into the weird. The anecdotes from her time in emergency medicine were my favorite parts, offering glimpses of humanity and heartbreak amid the chaos.
Still, some chapters felt rushed, as if the author was racing through the list rather than exploring each topic with depth. It’s definitely more of a “dip-in-and-out” kind of book rather than one to binge cover to cover.
If you love darkly funny nonfiction and don’t mind a little medical mayhem, you’ll probably find this entertaining. It’s not a must-read, but it’s a memorable one—and who knows, it might even save your life someday.
ARC reader review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A focused 99 ways to die and according to this doctor, ways you can try to avoid them. Some are easier than others like sharks or heroin, but others like heart attacks and water a little less easy. Each section has a main header like Poison and Locomotion and then the chapters are about the specifics. She uses a little bit of levity with some fun one-liners and jokes otherwise, she takes each topic very seriously though the Netgalley copy doesn't have any backmatter which is odd.
This is the kind of book that if I remember just a little about a handful of them, I would be awesome at trivia. It's helpful to have a compiled list and to pay attention to opportunities to prevent issues. Liked the content and loved the delivery including her interspersing biographical information as an ER doctor specifically for the little ones and the weirdest things that have happened but the greatest takeaway is that the only people you should always be absolutely honest with are doctors who need to try to help you in case of an emergency.
This is the kind of book that if I remember just a little about a handful of them, I would be awesome at trivia. It's helpful to have a compiled list and to pay attention to opportunities to prevent issues. Liked the content and loved the delivery including her interspersing biographical information as an ER doctor specifically for the little ones and the weirdest things that have happened but the greatest takeaway is that the only people you should always be absolutely honest with are doctors who need to try to help you in case of an emergency.
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