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    Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur Summary

    Briefly Perfectly Human
    Alua Arthur
    4.2 (4310 Reviews)
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    Overview of Briefly Perfectly Human

    America's foremost death doula Alua Arthur offers a transformative guide to embracing mortality as life's greatest teacher. Endorsed by Jodi Picoult and featured on Chris Hemsworth's "Limitless" series, this NYT bestseller reveals how facing death unlocks our most authentic, vibrant living.

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    Best quote from Briefly Perfectly Human

    “

    Meeting Jessica, who embraced life fully despite her illness, showed me that awareness of mortality doesn't diminish life but makes it bloom wildly.

    ”
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    Briefly Perfectly Human isn't just a book — it's a masterclass in Biography. To help you absorb its lessons in the way that works best for you, we offer five unique learning modes. Whether you're a deep thinker, a fast learner, or a story lover, there's a mode designed to fit your style.

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    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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    Key Takeaways

    1

    A Taxi, a Scrunchie, and the Question That Changes Everything

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    Ever dodge death over a red scrunchie? Picture racing through Trinidad, Cuba, narrowly missing a taxi while carrying a hair accessory you promised to return to a stranger named Yesenia. As the vehicle whizzes past, your mind floods with absurd worries-dying abroad, family shame, and yes, whether you're wearing acceptable underwear. This isn't the plot of a quirky indie film. It's the moment that transformed Alua Arthur's life and led her to become one of America's most sought-after death doulas. At the bus station afterward, still shaken, Arthur meets Jessica-a German traveler with a red quill pen tattoo who helps delay the bus. As they journey together, Jessica casually reveals she has terminal uterine cancer and is seeing the world before she dies. Unlike Jessica's friends and family who tiptoe around mortality, Arthur leans in with genuine curiosity. The question she asks becomes a turning point: "When you look at yourself on your deathbed, who do you see?" This simple inquiry unlocks something profound in both women. Jessica realizes she wants to write a book about her travels. Arthur, at thirty-four, contemplates her own mortality for the first time-truly contemplates it-and envisions the person she wants to become before her final breath. Years later, she understands that without this "coincidental" encounter, she might be dead-not physically, but spiritually crushed under the weight of living someone else's life.

    2

    The Body's Story and Death's Early Lessons

    3

    The Loss That Became a Calling

    4

    Compassion, Boundaries, and the Art of Showing Up

    5

    Death Doesn't Discriminate, But We Do

    6

    Becoming the Person You Were Meant to Be

    7

    The Uncomfortable Truth That Sets You Free