Category: prevention and fitness

How 99 Ways to Die Might Save Your Life-a book review

In this post I review “99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them.” Dr. Ashely Alker, an emergency physician, humorously outlines various health risks and preventive measures. Combining personal anecdotes with medical insights, she emphasizes the importance of awareness in avoiding fatal incidents and advises readers to prioritize health habits over misinformation, and seeking medical care as soon as possible.

99 Ways to Die

And How to Avoid Them

by Ashely Alker, M.D.

Published January 2026 by St. Martin’s Press

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for sending this book for review consideration.

Why would a medical doctor write about ways to die? Aren’t they supposed to keep people alive?

Yes, and that’s why Dr. Ashely Alker, a “death escapologist”, wrote 99 Ways to Die. As an emergency medicine specialist, she says this book is bad for business. Reading it, and following her advice, may keep you out of her emergency room. Better yet, it may save your life.

Dr. Adler briefly shares her pre-medical life and education, including overseas study for a master’s degree in public health. She relates personal experiences with illness and the healthcare system, which led her to medical school and residency.

The table of contents reads like a textbook of emergency medicine, in that it includes both illnesses and situations that can lead to illness. Some of them you have no doubt heard of.

  • Heart Attacks
  • Cancer
  • Ebola virus
  • Nuclear blast radiation

But have you heard of

  • Schistosomiasis,
  • Mad Cow disease,
  • Venomous agent X,
  • Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

And you’ve heard of but may not believe can be deadly.

  • Influenza,
  • Measles,
  • High Blood Pressure,
  • Pregnancy,
  • Health Influencers (yes, she really wrote this)

She devotes ample discussion to infections, both bacteria, viral, fungi, and even parasites. One whole chapter is on vaccine-preventable infections (obviously, she advocates vaccination)

One of the top five frequent causes of death is accidental trauma, which is often overlooked in discussions of preventive medicine. Not Dr. Adler. She details the ways things like drugs, animals, vehicle crashes, crime, sports, weather, and war can harm and kill us. And don’t forget the dangers of food and water!

You may be thinking this book must be highly technical. She does use scientific names and terms, which she explains in simple language. Her tone is engaging and conversational. She is blunt, sometimes humorous, but always perfectly serious.

She shares stories of her own patients with these conditions; details changed for privacy. Is some of it gory or scary? Maybe, depending on your comfort level and how much you want to know about the human body and how it can be misused and abused.

Disease and death affect all of life and history, as she points out in discussing the impact of the influenza epidemic of 1918 and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. I found her discussion of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in World War II particularly poignant.

The initial blasts killed over 200,000 civilians, with many more dying later from radiation illness. In her review of biological and chemical warfare, she suggests we consider carefully who we put into power.

 From this book, you will learn that health is more than knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol. Our risk of disease is more due to where and how we live, and our socioeconomic status. The most important number for your health may be your zip code in the United States.

None of us expect to die from an automobile collision, hypothermia, homicide, drowning, tornado, poisoning, insect bite, or war, but we might and she explains how to avoid it. Common sense things-wear a seat belt, dress for the weather, apply insect repellent, don’t believe medical misinformation you read online. Learn CPR and save someone else’s life.

I’m a physician and worked in ERs, but I still learned from her book. So, I believe you will also. Her main takeaway is to value and care for your body, you only have one. As she wrote in her dedication

May we all be alive this time next year.

Dr. Ashely Alker

Read an excerpt

Note: She does not intend this book to replace advice from your own personal physician. References to CDC recommendations are to those issued before January 1, 2025.

The Author

Ashely Alker, M.D., M.Sc., is an emergency medicine physician on a mission to improve public health. While completing her master’s degree, Dr. Alker studied at Harvard School of Public Health’s multinational institute in Cyprus. She lived near the United Nations Green Zone and worked in humanitarian affairs at the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture.

After graduating from the George Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Alker served as a healthcare advisor for a member of the US Congress. During her residency in emergency medicine at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Alker became a technical consultant and medical screenwriter, improving medical accuracy on over twenty shows, including TV and film for Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Disney.

Her nonprofit, Meaningful Media, connects writers, artists, and reporters with certified public health experts to develop scientifically accurate messaging.

Images in this Post

The book image and Dr. Alker’s photo are from her website.

What do you think?

What do you think about a physician writing a book about dying?

What is the most unusual, bizarre, or unexpected cause of death that you know about?

How will reading this review and/or the book impact your idea of what will cause your own death?

Exploring the HEART of Health

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Dr. Aletha

Expert Steps to Prevent and Manage Diabetes

This post introduces National Diabetes Month, aimed at raising diabetes awareness and promoting prevention and management. Diabetes causes high blood glucose due to insufficient insulin. Lifestyle changes, regular screenings, and medication adherence are essential for managing diabetes. Understanding risk factors and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can effectively prevent or delay diabetes onset and complications.

This information is current as of the date of original publication or update but may have changed by the time you read this. Do not use this information for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Before making health decisions, discuss with a qualified healthcare professional.

National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month, designated to raise awareness of diabetes. Taking steps to prevent or manage diabetes may lower your risk of developing health problem related to diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that causes too much of the body’s blood glucose, also called blood sugar, to accumulate in the bloodstream. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and your body can make it.

Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas,  helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy. If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin, or doesn’t use insulin properly. Without insulin, glucose doesn’t reach your cells.

Diabetes isn’t just about the pancreas. Diabetes affects the eyes, kidneys, nerves, skin, and heart. Diabetes is also linked to some types of cancer.

Knowledge plus action can prevent diabetes health problems.

Stats to Know about Diabetes

As of 2019, 37.3 million people—or 11.3% of the U.S. population—had diabetes.

More than 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 had diabetes. 

Nearly 1 in 4 adults with diabetes didn’t know they had the disease.

About 90% to 95% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.

Know About Pre-diabetes

Prediabetes is defined as a blood sugar level that is in the higher end of the normal range, but not high enough to diagnose diabetes. While many of these people don’t develop diabetes, it does indicate a higher risk, so is worth knowing about and checking regularly. 

Since 2001, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) research study has shown that intensive lifestyle interventions and select medications are cost-effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. 

Learn Your Risk for Diabetes.

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have overweight or obesity; are age 35 or older; have a family history of diabetes; are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, or Pacific Islander; are not physically active; or have prediabetes.

The exact reasons these factors increase the chance of diabetes is not known. Scientists suspect genetics plays a role. Lifestyle may also impact one’s risk. 

Later in this post you can discover your risk for diabetes with a simple online test.

The ABCs of Diabetes 

Manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Preventing diabetes or managing diabetes as soon as possible after diagnosis may help prevent diabetes health problems. You can start by managing your diabetes ABCs.

A is for the A1C test (hemoglobin A1C) that health care professionals use to measure your average blood glucose levels. Some people with diabetes also use devices to track their blood glucose throughout the day and night.

  • B is for Blood pressure.
  • C is for Cholesterol.
  • S is for Stop Smoking

Ask your health care team what your ABCs goals should be.

Develop a Healthy Lifestyle

Lifestyle habits like planning healthy meals, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and not smoking may help you prevent diabetes or manage your diabetes ABCs.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Start slow and build healthier habits from there.

Four illustrations of a family with the text: 1) Make sleep a priority, 2) Try a relaxing activity, 3) Focus on positivity, and 4) Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated.

Using Diabetes Medications 

Remember to take your medicines even if you feel healthy. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have trouble taking your medicines on time or at the correct dose.

If you have trouble paying for medication, your doctor may suggest less costly alternatives. 

Insulin pumps contain enough insulin for several days. An infusion set carries insulin from the pump to the body through flexible plastic tubing and a soft tube or needle inserted under the skin.

Weight and Diabetes 

If you have overweight or obesity, ask your primary care provider if healthy eating, physical activity, or other weight-loss treatments may help you manage your weight.

You may prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight. Use the Diabetes Risk Management Calculator to determine how much weight you can lose to help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Manage Stress and Emotions

Managing diabetes can be hard. If you feel down, sad, or overwhelmed, learn about healthy ways to cope with stress. Consider talking to a mental health counselor or joining a support group.

Work with your Healthcare Team.

Managing diabetes takes a team. Your health care team may include a primary care provider, diabetes specialist, registered dietitian, or certified diabetes educator.

Ask your primary care provider if you should talk with other health care professionals about preventing or managing diabetes. These might include specialists for

  • feet-podiatrists,
  • skin-dermatologists,
  • heart-cardiologists,
  • eyes-opthalmologists.

Diabetes medicines, devices, and office visits can be expensive. A social worker or a member of your health care team may be able to help you find community resources or financial help for diabetes care.

Your health insurance provider may offer additional services to manage diabetes. Some employers offer preventive medicine services to their employees and their dependents.

Post Images and Graphics

The images and graphics are public use from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. I drew most of the content from the NIKKD website and added my insights.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), is part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK research creates knowledge about and treatments for diseases that are among the most chronic, costly, and consequential for patients, their families, and the Nation.

The cover image of this post was created by JetPackAI available with WordPress.

Awareness and Action

There is much more to know about diabetes but the main point I hope you take away from this post is the importance of getting screened for diabetes. Take this short test to assess your risk.

Assess Your Risk

What was your score? Mine was 5 out of 10, that’s considered high risk. I knew that because my father had diabetes and developed heart disease as a result. I lost him to his disease many years ago. I wish his diabetes had been discovered sooner and that he had done more to keep it well controlled.

Once you are screened, ask your health care provider how often it should be repeated. There is no one right answer, it depends largely on your risk factors. Anytime you feel seriously ill, especially if you have any of the symptoms of diabetes, you should be tested again.

Testing for diabetes is a simple blood test, relatively inexpensive, so there is no reason not to test adults. Children and teenagers need testing less often, unless there are significant risk factors.

Learn more about diabetes signs in this post

10 Silent Signs of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus type 2, often linked to obesity, complicates blood glucose control for overweight individuals. It contributes to serious complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, and neuropathy. Early diagnosis and effective management through lifestyle changes and medication are crucial. Everyone should be aware of symptoms and high-risk factors for diabetes.

Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D.'s avatar by Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D.

Exploring the HEART of Health

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Use this search box for related posts on this blog or other topics of interest to you.

Dr. Aletha