I got this fair-condition ex-library hardcover from Better World Books. It's a look at American views of life and death from conception through death - and beyond. The title refers to a very early board game, contrasting it with the more well-known Milton Bradley game-of-life and highlighting the change from spiritual virtues to worldly success as the goal.

The different sections of the book take some unexpected turns; sure, there are discussions of definitions of life, contraception and abortion, but also a look at Anne Carroll Moore, a Maine woman who was largely responsible for the concept of a children's library. That leads to debates over what's suitable reading material for children, and then - we're off to the next stage of life. [Granted that the book couldn't delve deeply into its topics without turning into an encyclopedia, but sometimes I found the shifts a bit abrupt.] The book moves from the discovery that Stuart Little had been banned at one point to a debate about sex education to a look at time-management (with a nod to Lillian Gilbreth, whose family was immortalized in Cheaper By the Dozen) to the study of aging... and then to a section on cryogenics, for those souls who - whether hopeful or fearful - prefer the long shot of being frozen and eventually resurrected to being laid to rest. (I've never had the slightest interest in being cryogenically preserved, fwiw, and have yet to find any of the arguments of its proponents convincing.)

Overall the book had some intriguing aspects, and led me to a few side-Googles of my own to dig into the bits I liked best.

I left this book, bagged against the elements, near the information board in the little park near the reconstructed covered bridge at around 3; hope the finder enjoys it!

*** Released as part of the 2016 Tick Tock release challenge. ***

*** Released as part of the 2016 Spooktacular Halloween release challenge. ***