E I Weiner: 2 books

You may fear the Reaper, but these laugh-filled essays, articles, sketches and lists make the dude seem a lot less Grim. From the 33 stages of dying to a fairly deep (actually, shallow) discussion of death symbolism in dreams, and even exercises for the dead (including the ever-popular Lying in Place), you’ll want to make sure to live long enough to read them all.

This contemporary oral history, based on interviews conducted over an 18-year period, is the first of its kind in English. The interviews, some repeated with the same subjects over years, demonstrate how the Jewish community of Dijon has evolved over time in response to challenges both internal and...