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Ernest Becker
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The Denial of Death Audio CD – Unabridged, June 26, 2005

by Ernest Becker (Author), Raymond Todd (Reader)
4.4 out of 5 stars 3,101 ratings
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  1. Pulitzer PrizeWinner, 1974
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie: man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than thirty years after its publication. The Denial of Death was the last book Dr. Becker published before his premature death in 1974. His insightful and powerful ideas are sure to last for generations.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Blackstone Audiobooks
  3. Publication date
    June 26, 2005
  4. Dimensions
    5.8 x 1.1 x 5.6 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1470893401
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1470893408
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Ernest Becker (1924-1974) received a PhD in cultural anthropology from Syracuse University. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State College, and Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and a foundation that bears his name, The Ernest Becker Foundation.



Raymond Todd is an actor and director in the theater as well as a poet and documentary filmmaker. He plays jazz trombone for the Leatherstocking quartet, an ensemble that gets its name from one of his favorite Blackstone narrations, The Deerslayer. Todd lives in New York.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Audiobooks
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 26, 2005
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Unabridged
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1470893401
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1470893408
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1.1 x 5.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 3,101 ratings

About the author

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Ernest Becker

Ernest Becker

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After receiving a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Syracuse University, Dr. Ernest Becker (1924-1974) taught at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State College, and Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and a foundation that bears his name--The Ernest Becker Foundation.

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4.4 out of 5 stars
3,101 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book extremely insightful, with one review noting it provides a thorough summary of psychoanalytic knowledge. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as well thought out and wonderfully written. While some consider it a masterpiece, others find it a laborious read with turgid prose. The book receives mixed reactions regarding its life-long relevance, with some finding it insightful about death while others express concerns about its pessimistic view of life.

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InsightWriting qualityReadabilityLife-long relevance
118 customers mention "Insight"104 positive14 negative

Customers find the book extremely insightful and fascinating, with one customer noting it provides a comprehensive review of theories and perspectives.

"...It provides a framework that takes the problem of self-justification and removes it from the objects near at hand, allowing individuals to lean on..." Read more

"...'s conclusions that I don't agree with, this book is the best work on human nature that I know of; somewhat superior to `On Human Nature' by Edward..." Read more

"...It’s fascinating stuff, but now 40 years later, it’s hard to reconcile some of the core concepts in this book with the latest in cognitive research..." Read more

"...Becker’s work is a vital contribution to existential thought, a book that deserves its place among the great philosophical inquiries into the nature..." Read more

48 customers mention "Writing quality"35 positive13 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as well thought out and brilliant, with one customer noting the author's talent for clear self-expression in text.

"...Stylistically, the prose is clear yet dense, carrying the weight of its subject matter with a balance of intellectual rigor and empathetic insight...." Read more

"...This book is definitely written for professionals and deep thinkers. I personally am of a little more than average intelligence...." Read more

"...about the book, as far as I am concerned, is that it is discussed in an esoteric manner...." Read more

"...in his ability to provide a coherent flow of content and constant regard for the layman...." Read more

117 customers mention "Readability"68 positive49 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it a masterpiece and amazing, while others describe it as very challenging to read with turgid prose making it a slow read.

"...shared between humans (though still generated by biology), are truly amazing and sources of wonder and awe...." Read more

"...While undeniably profound, the text demands patience and engagement...." Read more

"This book is monumental (I decided to read on Jordan Peterson’s suggestion), it goes to the core issues of human existence, nature’s indifferent..." Read more

"I am 19 years old and this is the most amazing book I have ever read in my life...." Read more

17 customers mention "Life-long relevance"8 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed views on the book's life-long relevance, with some finding it insightful on the subject of death, while others describe it as pessimistic and life-denying.

"...Nature is heartless and then we die feeling robbed...." Read more

"...Accepting death means embracing all of life." Read more

"...I was expecting a "So What Now?" section, but no cigar. There is no happy ending. However, there is hope in the unknown, as backwards as that sounds...." Read more

"Overall, I enjoyed The Denial of Death and found it to be eye opening and informative...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Tania
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Monumental Book.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Becker's Pulitzer Prize-winning work addresses the fundamental drive of the human condition, delving into societal institutions, pathologies, and irrational behaviors. In his exploration, Becker presents a profound psychological argument for the pan-cultural religious impetus compelling individuals to merge with a beyond while also seeking individual distinction. He astutely illustrates the illusory nature of seemingly secular cultures, shedding light on the structural similarities they share with outgrown religious beliefs. Embedded within his argument is the rejection of truth as a highly valued principle in statecraft, compelling readers to reconsider their perception of societal realities. Through a three-part exploration, Becker skillfully navigates the complex human dilemma, offering a detailed outline of the problem, common solutions, and an incisive analysis of society through this framework.

    The fundamental struggle faced by humans, according to Becker, stems from a unique dichotomy that only humans grapple with. This symbolic identity places individuals in an existential dilemma; they are both capable of comprehending abstract concepts, such as infinity and atoms, yet they must confront the objectively meaningless nature of their lives and the prospect of their eventual demise. Becker suggests that one aspect of the fear of life lies in the overwhelming awe, fear, and incomprehensibility that comes with existence. In confronting the complexity of one's own existence, there arises a fear of being insignificant, leading to a struggle to find meaning in an incomprehensible world. These dual fears of life and death contribute to the heroic urges that Becker describes, urging individuals to strive for transcendence and create their own sense of significance even in the face of potential meaninglessness.

    One of the qualities of Man that fascinated Becker was how we have an instinctive sense to "be good." But what is goodness? The twin urges of Agape and Eros are a reflection of Man's pursuit of transcendence and individual significance. Agape is the reflex against the impermanence from death, seeking meaning through merging with an ultimate beyond. On the other hand, Eros is the reflex against the insignificance from life, striving for uniqueness and importance. This concept explains the dual motivations behind human behavior and the innate drive to create distinctions between Good and Evil in order to carve out meaning in the world. Both Agape and Eros enable us to navigate the complexities of existence by providing a sense of direction and cultivating individual greatness. However, there's a profound tension in this process as these twin urges can often be antagonistic to each other.

    In Becker’s view, character defenses, represented by identity and narrative, assist in giving individuals the sense of control and unique identity essential for functioning in the world. Becker also discusses the use of transference objects as a way for individuals to find grounding and direction in the complexities of life. These objects provide a source of identification and direction, helping individuals navigate the overwhelming awe, wonder, and fear that existence often brings. Both character defenses and transference objects serve as coping mechanisms to grapple with the terrifying dilemma of human existence.

    Becker’s view on how cultural elements play a role in our lives is insightful and intriguing. He discusses the concept of leaders as transference objects, emphasizing how the crowd's fascination with leaders highlights the hypnosis of power and the desire to merge with omnipotence. Beyond leaders, he delves into the idea of lovers as transference objects, explaining how romantic interests take on the role of encapsulating power, immortality, and the designator of good and evil. In both these cases, Becker demonstrates how cultural elements serve as symbolic structures fulfilling the innate human urge for heroism through Agape and Eros. This comprehensive analysis provides a deeper understanding of how individuals seek meaning and significance within cultural dynamics.

    Becker’s analysis of the effectiveness and benefits of religion highlights how it directly addresses the problem of transference by expanding awe and terror to the cosmos where they belong. It provides a framework that takes the problem of self-justification and removes it from the objects near at hand, allowing individuals to lean on powers that truly support and do not oppose them. However, the failures of modernity as outlined by Becker point out that globalization and analytical ability have rendered people cynical, depriving them of the ability to have faith. The diversity in ideology poses a threat to heroism, and it becomes disheartening to see 'authorities who are equally unimpeachable hold opposite views.'

    Becker's comparison of cultural heroes and societal outcasts sheds light on the existential dichotomy faced by those who venture into the realm of creativity. His contention that artists and societal outcasts are only separated by a small degree of "talent" implies that creativity and madness share a connectedness. Conferring cultural heroes with creative genius, Becker's analysis illustrates how the innovators who attempt to furnish an entirely new meaning to creation and history shoulder the weight of justifying previous and potential alternative meanings alone. As a result, the burden of fabricating one's own religion, as argued by Becker, leads to a hypervigilant state, facing the fear that no beyond can prevent creatives from exhausting every bit of themselves in the artistic process.
    23 people found this helpful
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  • Valentin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless wisdom
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The following sums up the central theme of this Pulitzer Prize-winner:

    "For now, it is enough to invoke Marcia Lee Anderson's complete scientific formula: `Stripped of subtle complications [i.e., of all the character defenses - repression, denial, misconceptions of reality], who could regard the sun except with fear?'"(p.66)

    Hereafter I'll quote extensively, as opposed to paraphrasing, in order to make it as beneficial for the interested individual as I can.

    Ernest chose a title that he knew would resonate with the public: The Denial of Death. But the book should have been called `The Denial of Life', because people not only repress their inevitable demise, but even more so their lives. The book is centered on the philosophy that every person starting in childhood creates an imaginary world where, to put it simply, everything is better and the people are nicer, so not to perceive the intricately problematic reality. Ernest aptly summarized prominent thinkers and students of human nature of the past 150 years, including Soren Kierkegaard, Otto Rank, Norman Brown, and Sigmund Freud. One might rightfully say that some of the latter men's conclusions were repudiated by modern thought. However, their fundamental findings - such as Freud's narcissist, Kierkegaard's `introvert', or Rank's artist - on characters of man are timeless. Details, tactics, and strategies of how to approach the very complex study of human nature change, but the nature itself doesn't. As much as I wish to discuss this book at length, I won't do it for lack of space. I'll succinctly outline the work of one philosopher, who is one of the most astute men in history, and briefly summarize two others, Sigmund Freud and Otto Rank.

    The 19th-century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard analyzed man's inner characters. Even though more than 150 years have elapsed, his ingenuous analysis can readily be applied to our modern society.

    The immediate man - the modern inauthentic or insincere man - is someone who blindly follows the trends of society to the dot. Someone who unthinkingly implements what society says is "right." "He recognizes himself only by his dress,...he recognizes that he has a self only by externals." (p.74) He converts frivolous patterns to make them his identity. He often distorts his own personality in order to "fit into the group". His opinion means nothing even to himself, hence he imitates others to superficially look "normal."

    The introvert, the one "who tries to cultivate his interiority...he is a little more concerned with what it means to be a person", he who "enjoys solitude and withdraws periodically to reflect." (p.82) He enjoys reading and thinking about the deepness of life, human relations, and the universe in general. But Ernest wrote that introvert "is not an immediate man, but not a real man either, even though he gives the appearance of it." (p.83)

    And finally "the one who asserts himself out of defiance of his own weakness, who tries to be a god unto himself, the master of his fate, a self-created man." (p. 84) But "the ugly side of this Promethianism is that it, too, is thoughtless, and empty-headed immersion in the delight of technics with no thought to goals or meaning." (p.85)

    The aforementioned personalities are not what Ernest considered "real" men. Ernest, by interpreting Kierkegaard, regarded "the true individual, the self-realized soul, the 'real man,' is the one who has transcended himself." (p.86) (When he talks about self-transcendence throughout the book the text understandably becomes abstract.) He is the one who has admitted that his essential character has been a big lie, created to protect the self from the difficult reality of life. In order to psychologically survive such a realization one has to surrender oneself to the Ultimate Power of Creation, or so Ernest recommends.

    The book also talks at length about Freud, "perhaps the greatest psychologist who ever lived." (p.256), the man who was "like a Biblical prophet, who spoke a truth that no one wants to hear...whose pessimism [was] grounded in reality, in scientific truth." (p.94) He was a cynic who did not deceive himself about the man's "basic creatureliness," his inner animal. He was hated by many for unveiling that the fundamental nature of every man is weak and self-deceptive. He was the mentor of Otto Rank, who was a brilliant psychoanalyst. Eventually Freud severed his relationship with Rank due to irreconcilable disagreements.

    It seems that Becker worshipped Rank religiously. When Rank was 21, he impressed Freud so much with his intellect and insight that Freud made him a part of his inner-circle of confidants. Rank's most monumental work was his `Art and Artist'. In it Rank contemplated the creative type of man, who is the one whose "experience makes him take in the world as a problem...but when you no longer accept the collective solution to the problem of existence, then you must fashion your own...The work of art is...the ideal answer..."

    And now I'll briefly express my disagreement with Becker's ultimate cure for man's despondent predicament of "real" life. I certainly am not as knowledgeable as Becker and my opinion towards life will definitely change during the years, but now let's not be "the modern mechanical men in Russia, the near-billion sheeplike followers in China, and the brutalized and ignorant populations of almost every continent." (p.281) Even though Becker didn't advocate any particular religion, "finding god" unavoidably decays one's mind and leads him to Christianity, Islam, etc. The fact that can't be refuted is that religion in general, Christianity in particular, has been the most efficient and cruel oppressor of intellect for millennia. And, because it has also been the most potent restraint upon progress, one would only shrink and limit his horizons by adhering to it. And what I deem especially interesting about Ernest's prescription for a god is that it was a way to battle one's fear and dejection. Fear, that indelible and prevalent emotion of men in any culture was relied on by religion to compel men to follow man-made Biblical laws. I'm not an advocate of atheism. But I'm a proponent of full and interesting life, something that religion takes away by promising to arrange an eternal afterlife.

    Notwithstanding some of the Becker's conclusions that I don't agree with, this book is the best work on human nature that I know of; somewhat superior to `On Human Nature' by Edward Wilson. I must warn though that having read it thoroughly will not only alter your outlook on life and your relationships with your peers, but it will also make you sadder...but wiser.
    105 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K. Jolly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read ... The Best Ever!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 14, 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is the most incredible book I have ever read or will ever hope to read. It is a book everyone must plan to read in their lifetime. If you have ever wondered about human nature, questioned why people do what they do, and what drives human beings to repeat behaviors over and over, this comprehensive work provides answer to these questions and more. It is not a self help book but rather a jarring account into the human psyche. The first 3 chapters set the tone, so perserver. The author then makes you feel as though you are in an intimate lecture hall. Just do yourself a favor and buy a copy. You'll have no regretts!
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  • noaf ahmad
    3.0 out of 5 stars The book quality is good
    Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on October 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    My lowe starts is on the author not the sold product... Topic abit out dated
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  • Ronan Kenny
    5.0 out of 5 stars Truth Tsar Bomba
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I think Becker is more along the line of reality than Freud. It is my belief - take that with a grain of salt - that it is the refusal and running from the looming doom of death that is our prime mover is many things, not the libido.
    This book hit hard in a lot of places, and is a great insight into things of the mind including why dictators come to power, or why wish to become or admire the 'hero', in a classical sense.
    Beware, the page count is not the amount of time this book will take you. I found myself, like with many books of its like, setting it down after various passages to just ruminate on what I have read. A fantastic book for discussion, too.
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  • Ali Raza
    5.0 out of 5 stars An other way of thinking.
    Reviewed in Germany on June 16, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Depends , what life stage you are at.
    For mid life themes . It’s good to read such things and make an honest opinion of your own .
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  • DevaAmazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic, Thought Provoking
    Reviewed in India on February 22, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Not so much about death, rather about dysfunctions in life and reviewing the works of other great philosophers and psychologists of 19th & 20th century. It is an easy read, not necessarily easily digestable (or concievable). Its definitely not a self help book, instead it might just force you to rethink happiness, fear, arousal, hope, imagination, scizophrenia, homosexuality, perversions, etc.
    👍🏼 Its a classic.
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