Death is the unsolvable riddle of life. To uncover its mysteries, biologist Bernd Heinrich examines how the animals he has observed for many decades deal with death. Small beetles, majestic eagles, ravens, or wolves – they all have a life after death that constantly surrounds us but occurs in secrecy. Death connects lives like links in an endless chain: what dies is reborn into new life by becoming humus or food for others. Heinrich looks closely and reveals how metamorphoses unfold in detail, the role of bacteria and fungi, and the far-reaching nature of global metabolism. He discovers a vibrant world of becoming and perishing that can not only provide us with comfort but also offer ecological lessons.