In the book, you write about death and you write about it because you're interested in this question of whether we as Americans in the West have shied away from it. And Bhutan, they view death a lot differently. The citizens are instructed to think about death anywhere from one to three times a day. By becoming aware of your own impermanence, it has the ability to change your behavior in a positive way.
Journalist and author Michael Easter talks about his book The Comfort Crisis with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Easter thinks modern life is too easy, too comfortable. To be healthy, he says, we need to move out of our comfort zones and every once in a while try to do something, especially something physically demanding, that we didn't think was possible. Easter discusses rising levels of anxiety and depression in the West and why taking on challenges can be part of the solution.