I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’m sure this could be an amazing book for people who are recently diagnosed with a terminal condition to help them make preparations for their death without being too overwhelmed. It’s great to see everything that could be needed to prepare for death laid out so well with things I wouldn’t have thought of without the professional’s help. It is full of helpful advice laid out in an easy to understand ebay and not too boring or overly jargon filled and the client stories a great way to break up the facts and make it feel less like a textbook.

Death is No Excuse is a funny and approachable book about the whys and hows of estate planning. The author, David Baker, is a lawyer who has seen and heard probably every funny excuse that someone could come up with for why they don't need a will, why they will only need it "if" they die, and why it makes sense for them to save money by writing the will themselves and then hiding from anyone who actually needs the information. The tone is lighthearted but the message is anything but. Death will happen to all of us. If you own anything that you want to be given to someone, plan correctly. And death really is no excuse for leaving others with a mess to clean up that you could have quickly, easily and inexpensively (in most cases) taken care of yourself.

This book is a good reference for what to do before you die (and you will die), but probably doesn’t work that well outside a US audience. There are rules and laws that don’t apply depending on what country you are in and I found there were several parts of this book that were completely irrelevant to my future and my assets.

The book itself was light hearted and written with a dry and sarcastic tone without sounding condescending or cruel. The fact is many people are not prepared for death, even though it is the one absolute guarantee in life, and this can have huge ripple effects for those who come after.

It also raised some good points about wills, marriage and how important it is to have things in writing. Most of my friends are in long term relationships without wills and without being married so if something happens the process after will be even more painful and difficult. People become snakes the second they see money.

Overall the book was good but I found that I lost a bit of interest due to how locked it is geographically. I’m interested in the subject and understand that your expertise can only really cover one area, but I wish I had known before requesting the book from the UK NetGalley website.

While I dearly hope not to have to take full advantage of the excellent guidance provided by David Baker in DEATH IS NO EXCUSE, I very much appreciated his candor, straightforward, and extremely useful perspective on estate planning. I know it's inevitable and have long delayed taking any action, but now, with his clear and direct book, I am armed with knowledge, confidence, and motivation to finally do the things that must be done, rousing myself past haphazard "death cleaning" to actually putting in place my final desires and making them legal, binding, and well known. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

What originally caught my eye on this book was the cover and the title. I absolutely love the cover. Inside the book, it provide an interesting delve into the legalities of death, wills, unplanned decisions and all the other hard to cover but necessary topics life presents us with BEFORE they actually happen, with case studies of things that have gone the wrong way. It was very on the level of the average person, which I thoroughly enjoyed and it forced me to review some of the topics myself and my husband should consider.

I think it's a great non-fiction read for anyone.

Estate planning is something that most people know they should do but too often, delay until it's too late. This book will help inspire you to take the appropriate action to protect loved ones after your own death. It was written by an attorney with extensive experience in estate planning; he presents material in an easy to read, humorous fashion accompanied by real-life examples. Hiring a lawyer to produce a will can be costly but this book makes it very clear that you and your loved ones will benefit in the long run. The information in this book helped point me in the right direction!

That's what they're really informed book. I like how the author talked about situations when you don't prepare to die. I like how we divided the chapters up and gave examples how this can happen. Some of the stories are very sad because a lot of this could be avoided if you prepared for this. I think people should read this book to get an understanding.How important is to have a A will. There's so many things you need to do nowadays because it's so complicated. This would be a really good book to have in I Nursing homes. Some families don't like to talk about it , but it's a very important issue.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a great resource. The author, David Baker, has a straight-forward, humorous and informative. Baker goes through the reasons why you should leave behind documents such as a will for your loved ones to follow after your death. "Death is not an excuse" for not having a will and leaving your loved ones in chaos after you pass on.

I mostly enjoyed the real-life examples this very experienced attorney gave in his tome. For example, there was a case of an uncle who always said he was going to leave his house to his grand niece and nephew - well, guess what happened after he passed without a will?

There are many superstitions and wrong assumptions made about wills - this holds people back from wanting to create one - i.e. "if I talk about death, I am calling it to me". Baker delves into some of these and breaks them down.

Overall, I think everyone should read this book and everyone should create their will (including me)!!

Wow this book is not just super useful and helpful, it is also hilarious! Highly recommend for EVERYONE as we ALL need to get our affairs in order! It perfectly describes a family member of mine who is super-reluctant to deal with eventual death due to... fear of dying!! Yes, we all have this fear but we also must "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst". Thank you to the author for bringing his decades of experience and good humor to this fraught topic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

"Death is No Excuse" by David Baker is both entertaining and informative, offering a practical guide to estate planning. With humor and real-life case studies, Baker explains the importance of drafting a will and planning for life's unexpected events. The writing is straightforward and engaging, making it an easy read for anyone looking to protect their family from legal pitfalls. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to better understand estate planning in a fun and accessible way.

Lots of helpful info here, ALMOST totally layman’s. I did lose the plot a few times, but mostly learned new information. I am under responsible and have already done estate planning when I had my daughter at 30. I know I need to revisit it 5 years later and can be more knowledgeable when meeting with an estate lawyer.

DEATH IS NO EXCUSE - This lawyer gives a good narrative about why it is important to have a lawyer do the legal work. Before you need that Lawyer, this lawyer goes through every option besides just a plain 'she gets it all' will. There were some items I never considered, like your baby made from the egg and sperm of other people. A good guidance book to start putting your ducks in a row before getting a lawyer. You have to know what ideas you have for the legal beagle to do the job right. Source: Netgalley. 4*



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Thank you to the author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. The self-published book by an attorney was really humorous and eye opening. It was written in a conversational way that made me feel like I was sitting across from the author, which was a great way to break down the barriers some people will have to this difficult topic.

Death Is No Excuse is David Baker’s self-published guide to estate planning. The author has been an estate attorney for 40 years and shares his expertise with humor. His primary focus is encouraging readers to draft a will, but he also discusses planning for death, divorce, disability, and avoiding tax pitfalls. There are 23 chapters, and I recommend reading one chapter per night with a significant other. This book is a valuable addition to every home and public library and would make an excellent gift for a middle-aged relative who has everything.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and the author for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A very funny but INCREDIBLY relevant run down of why it's important to fill out advanced directives, and have important paperwork in order.

Baker gives very clear and outrageous examples that illustrate why having your will, living will, and power of attorney etc. are all so essential. Such an important book, as it is clearly laid out and many people don't even have a basic understanding of legal documents.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A lot of info and situations, stories that help you keep the chapters, and effectively, what they’re trying to teach you in context. I’m not near old age, so I’m not the target audience for this book but I rated it based on what I learned and also how convinced I am that I will be contacting a bar association near me when I’m need of one. One gripe I did have is that I wasn’t completely hooked onto the book until a certain chapter, it takes a while for the narration to really warm up to you but maybe that was because it was my first nonfiction novel in a long while.

I chose this book because “we will all die”, “it’s not if, but when I die…”, I wish to prepare myself, my loved ones and everyone who will be involved in the aftermath of my life (death).
I also chose this book because it could only be engaging and witty based on the cover, the title and the descriptions.
This is a useful, truthful book which is well-organised and written.
I am not based in the US but besides the location-specific, this book offers many practical and insightful discussions and tips.

This book by a veteran attorney provides a practical guide to estate planning, highlighting the consequences of dying without a will. Using real-life case studies, the author explains how to avoid legal pitfalls, protect your family, and ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. It’s informative, entertaining, and easy to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I saw an ad for this book in the NYT's Book Review and thought it looked interesting. It's an important subject, written by a probate lawyer with a little humor thrown in so you don't fall asleep. It got me thinking about better planning my estate and getting my parents to talk about theirs. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Strange for me to say, but reading about death and planning for it, didn't expect for this to be kinda funny.

This covers wills, trusts, and guardianships, however in the context of USA. Since its not totally relevant, ended up flipping pages where didn't apply to me.