"This book tells no story, either made-up or true. So if light, easily digestible prose is your thing, you might want to consider reading something else. The same goes for anyone looking for quick and easy ways to attain inner harmony, get ahead in business, shed excess pounds, or master three languages in five weeks (or five languages in three weeks)—whether selectively or all at once—with success assured and no effort required. (...) And to the readers who misinterpreted the title, let me tell you right away: this is not a new religious revelation either. Consider yourself warned."

"In the case of life, there’s a cycle again—which convinces me all the more that it didn't arise from spontaneous chaos but is subject to the iron rules of a powerful and perfect mechanism. (...) Something is born, grows, and then dies, only to be reborn and continue to grow. Verily, only the cycle really makes sense. In contrast, imagine that biological life has no end. Such a prospect, at least at first glance, would probably please many of us (unless you work in the funeral industry). A second glance, however, would probably leave many people depressed. We could conclude that we don't exist at all. Who would want to produce us, and what for?"

"Before we start, let’s consider why death has such a bad reputation among people. If you ask me, the main reason is the miserable PR. Imagine making your trademark a figure that completely lacks soft tissue. A human skeleton wearing a hooded black cloak and waving around a pretty nasty-looking agricultural device. (...) Much more emphasis also needs to be placed on death’s reliability. How often do we complain that we can’t trust anyone. We’ve all encountered snags and delays and had our plans fall apart because of others. Death is reliable. It never forgets, and it will never let you down—even if you would very much like it to."

"The experts were people who knew the godly subject. It’s not entirely clear where this knowledge came from. Perhaps, discerning the boom, the physically weaker yet more canny individuals sensed their chance and informed their slightly amazed companions that the Almighty had appeared to them in a dream and bestowed upon them their new mission. Or maybe—by coincidence, or thanks to their keen sense of observation and ability to foresee various events—they accurately predicted the eruption of a nearby volcano. This was credited to them as a connection to the higher power (I mean the heavens, not the volcano)."

"By the way, it would be really exciting to watch the draw of the new incarnation. Experience the thrill of the moment—whose skin will you get this time? I can already see bookies assessing possible configurations of gender, complexion, geographic coordinates, social status, or wealth. Perhaps we could even launch a new type of gambling outlet. Or at least turn it into a popular reality show or a TV series. Alas, I have to tame my imagination. Even though the software is already fairly advanced, the hardware is still in its infancy. It will take some time before it can take full advantage of the apps."

"When you break an arm—it can also be a leg or a rib—apart from being in trouble, you also feel a nagging pain from the broken bone. It’s truly intriguing why Nature gives us additionally such an unpleasant sensation. Not only is the bone damaged and the patient less functional, but you also suffer on top of that. As a sign of empathy, or at least compensation for the damage suffered, the injury could be signaled, say, with a gentle warmth or a pleasant tingling. This would soothe the frayed nerves and improve the currently miserable mood. Why the extra punishment while we’re already down?"