Composed at a time when Robert H. Kirven was coping with the terminal illness of his wife, A Book about Dying affirms that the universal fear of death is eased by knowing what comes after. Using the unique Swedenborgian perspective of the afterlife and his own hard-earned knowledge of the day-to-day realities of caring for a loved one, Kirven writes of the spiritual experiences of the dying and of the survivors; offers practical advice on measure that can lessen the burden on the sick and the caregiver; and convincingly asserts that "for patient and survivor alike, living really does continue after dying."

Robert H. Kirven was president and professor emeritus of the Swedenborg School of Religion, formerly in Newton, Massachusetts. He held degrees from the University of Chicago, Andover Newton Theological School, and Brandeis University, where he earned his doctorate in the history of ideas. He was the author of Angels in Action and the co-author, with George F. Dole, of A Scientist Explores Spirit.