DYING FOR BEGINNERS

Former editor of Question Time, Charlie Courtauld was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, at the age of 34. As a passionate communicator, he wrote a highly personal diary of his experience of the illness, which was published as a newspaper column and blog. His wish to share his account of life with MS has led to this collection of thought-provoking snapshots &ndash, charting his hopes and fears about MS, as well the ordinary ups and downs of life as a father of three. Funny, irreverent, unflinchingly honest and at times very sad, Charlie intended his blog to be something of a guide to dying, but in doing this he has given us a life-affirming take on the preciousness of ordinary daily life, and an invitation to think seriously about the thing &lsquo,we prefer not to think about&rsquo,. As Charlie puts it