Green (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital) introduces cell death to undergraduate students and general readers. He assumes a college level understanding of cell biology and biochemistry, but explains terms and concepts as they come up. In some ways, he says, the book may been considered an argument that the fundamentals of apoptosis are well enough known now to summarize in a relatively non-technical manner. Among his topics are caspases and their substrates, the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, clearance and consequences, and the future of death.