Overview

Is it still possible to fake your own death in the twenty-first century? With six figures of student loan debt, Elizabeth Greenwood was tempted to find out. So off she sets on a darkly comic foray into the world of death fraud, where for $30,000 a consultant can make you disappear—but your suspicious insurance company might hire a private detective to dig up your coffin...only to find it filled with rocks. Greenwood tracks down a British man who staged a kayaking accident and then returned to live in his own house while all his neighbors thought he was dead. She takes a call from Michael Jackson (no, he’s not dead—or so her new acquaintances would have her believe), stalks message boards for people contemplating pseudocide, and gathers intel on black market morgues in the Philippines, where she may or may not obtain some fraudulent goodies of her own. Along the way, she learns that love is a much less common motive than money, and that making your death look like a drowning virtually guarantees that you’ll be caught. (Disappearing while hiking, however, is a way great to go.) Playing Dead is a charmingly bizarre investigation in the vein of Jon Ronson and Mary Roach into our all-too-human desire to escape from the lives we lead, and the men and women desperate enough to give up their lives—and their families—to start again. “Delivers all the lo-fi spy shenanigans and caught-red-handed schadenfreude you’re hoping for.” —NPR “A lively romp.” —The Boston Globe “Grim fun.” —The New York Times “Brilliant topic, absorbing book.” —The Seattle Times “The most literally escapist summer read you could hope for.” —The Paris Review

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Reviews

If your life totally sucks then simply end it and start a new one. Elizabeth Greenwood's creepy and hilarious foray into death fakery shows you how. <b>-- Simon Doonan, author of <i>The Asylum </i>and<i> Beautiful People</i></b>

Exuberant and ironic, witty and compassionate, various and keenly-focused, Playing Dead is a far-reaching form of first-person eccentric investigative journalism. A terrific subject, where the deadly (excuse the pun) serious and absurdly comic meet and mesh. The pairing of her narrative self, wildly (and rather light-heartedly) fantasizing about disappearing from a debt-ridden student life, and John Darwin (Darwin!), a hard-nosed pro who has mastered the practical craft of pseudocide, is entertaining, revealing, and exhilarating. It s dramatically effective (comic noir) to find them in the same room, one seeking, one revealing trade secrets. And it embodies that central theme and paradox: exactly how a fantasy gets articulated into a fantastic reality; a disappearance and faked death into a fully imagined newly faked life; how psychic desperation becomes post-modern rebirth. A must-read. Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland

Elizabeth Greenwood is as entertaining and gifted an archeologist of subcultures as she is an able explorer of issues like anonymity, the right to privacy, and how much control people can ever exert over their identities. An energetic and insatiable writer, her generous mind infuses every page of this astonishing book. Heidi Julavits, author of The Vanishers Ms. Greenwood takes us on a romp through the world of the living dead not zombies, but real folk who for one reason or another decide the best way to go on with life is to fake death. It s a delightful read, and for anyone tantalized by the prospect of disappearing without a trace it might even provide some useful tips though Greenwood is careful to caution that pseudocide is rarely painless. Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake -If your life totally sucks then simply end it and start a new one. Elizabeth Greenwood's creepy and hilarious foray into death fakery shows you how.- -- Simon Doonan, author of The Asylum and Beautiful People -Greenwood explores this topic with wit, clarity and a gift for making a somewhat morbid subject into a fascinating read.- -- La Crosse Tribune -Entertaining and enlightening.- -- Booklist -A tragicomic study.- -- Bust -From digging up suspect graves to buying her own death certificate, Greenwood investigates the work of death fraud with probing comedic wit, and ultimately delivers a reflection on the efficacy of escaping ourselves.- -- DuJour -Earnestly researched.- -- Kirkus Reviews -Highly entertaining.- -- Lenny Letter -Catnip.- -- The Guardian -Belongs to that genre of popular nonfiction best exemplified by Jon Ronson.... It's a form that above all requires a likable, self-deprecating, curious narrator, and Greenwood fits the bill.- -- Slate -Slightly macabre, but ultimately very human; it is a questioning of how we seek satisfaction in life, and when we cut and run. Greenwood's narrative voice is humble and approachable, but as an investigator she is tenacious.... Playing Dead will please those attracted to the eccentric, as well as anyone who has ever fantasized about leaving it all behind.- -- Shelf Awareness -Wildly entertaining.- --Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon's Privates -A bizarre expose of the disappearance industry.- -- Entertainment Weekly -Playing Dead marks the debut of a very talented author. Both the book and the writer are cause for celebration.- -- Jeff Guinn, New York Times bestselling author of Manson -Quirky, engaging, and surprisingly uplifting... Elizabeth Greenwood has written a book about death, faked and real, that teaches us much about life.- -- Eric Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Genius -Ghoulishly existential.- -- BloombergBusinessweek -Riveting.- -- The Huffington Post -Exuberant and ironic, witty and compassionate, various and keenly-focused, Playing Dead is eccentric investigative journalism. A terrific subject, where the deadly (excuse the pun) serious and absurdly comic meet and mesh.- -- Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland -Elizabeth Greenwood is as entertaining and gifted an archeologist of subcultures as she is an able explorer of issues like anonymity, the right to privacy, and how much control people can ever exert over their identities. An energetic and insatiable writer, her generous mind infuses every page of this astonishing book.- -- Heidi Julavits, author of The Folded Clock -Wonderfully weird.- -- Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poisoner's Handbook -Mesmerizing.- -- Elle -A beguiling foray into the wacky yet somehow ever-fascinating realm of death fraud.- -- Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of The Confidence Game Greenwood explores this topic with wit, clarity and a gift for making a somewhat morbid subject into a fascinating read. -- La Crosse Tribune If your life totally sucks then simply end it and start a new one. Elizabeth Greenwood's creepy and hilarious foray into death fakery shows you how. -- Simon Doonan, author of The Asylum and Beautiful People Entertaining and enlightening. -- Booklist A tragicomic study. -- Bust From digging up suspect graves to buying her own death certificate, Greenwood investigates the work of death fraud with probing comedic wit, and ultimately delivers a reflection on the efficacy of escaping ourselves. -- DuJour Earnestly researched. -- Kirkus Reviews Highly entertaining. -- Lenny Letter Catnip. -- The Guardian Belongs to that genre of popular nonfiction best exemplified by Jon Ronson.... It's a form that above all requires a likable, self-deprecating, curious narrator, and Greenwood fits the bill. -- Slate Slightly macabre, but ultimately very human; it is a questioning of how we seek satisfaction in life, and when we cut and run. Greenwood's narrative voice is humble and approachable, but as an investigator she is tenacious.... Playing Dead will please those attracted to the eccentric, as well as anyone who has ever fantasized about leaving it all behind. -- Shelf Awareness Wildly entertaining. --Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon's Privates A bizarre expose of the disappearance industry. -- Entertainment Weekly Playing Dead marks the debut of a very talented author. Both the book and the writer are cause for celebration. -- Jeff Guinn, New York Times bestselling author of Manson Quirky, engaging, and surprisingly uplifting... Elizabeth Greenwood has written a book about death, faked and real, that teaches us much about life. -- Eric Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Genius Ghoulishly existential. -- BloombergBusinessweek Riveting. -- The Huffington Post Exuberant and ironic, witty and compassionate, various and keenly-focused, Playing Dead is eccentric investigative journalism. A terrific subject, where the deadly (excuse the pun) serious and absurdly comic meet and mesh. -- Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland Elizabeth Greenwood is as entertaining and gifted an archeologist of subcultures as she is an able explorer of issues like anonymity, the right to privacy, and how much control people can ever exert over their identities. An energetic and insatiable writer, her generous mind infuses every page of this astonishing book. -- Heidi Julavits, author of The Folded Clock Wonderfully weird. -- Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poisoner's Handbook Mesmerizing. -- Elle A beguiling foray into the wacky yet somehow ever-fascinating realm of death fraud. -- Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of The Confidence Game Earnestly researched. Kirkus Reviews If your life totally sucks then simply end it and start a new one. Elizabeth Greenwood s creepy and hilarious foray into death fakery shows you how. Simon Doonan, author ofThe Asylum and Beautiful People Anentertaining investigation. Publishers Weekly Earnestly researched. Kirkus Reviews [Greenwood] lends humor and eager lightheartedness to her findings....Playing Deadisn t one of those books you ll just pretend to like. The Bookworm Sez Entertaining and enlightening. Booklist A bizarre expose of the disappearanceindustry. Entertainment Weekly The most literally escapist summer read you could hope for. The Paris Review Catnip. The Guardian A tragicomic study. Bust Highly entertaining. Lenny Letter Delivers all the lo-fi spy shenanigans and caught-red-handed schadenfreude you're hoping for. NPR Brilliant topic, absorbing book. The Seattle Times Wildly entertaining. Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon's Privates Ghoulishly existential. BloombergBusinessweek Adelightful readfor anyone tantalized by the prospect of disappearing without a trace. Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake Riveting. The Huffington Post Mesmerizing. Elle Abeguiling foray into the wacky yet somehow ever-fascinatingrealm of deathfraud. Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of The Confidence Game Wonderfully weird. Deborah Blum, New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Poisoner's Handbook Grim fun. The New York Times A lively romp. The Boston Globe

Greenwood explores this topic with wit, clarity and a gift for making a somewhat morbid subject into a fascinating read. -- La Crosse Tribune

Greenwood explores this topic with wit, clarity and a gift for making a somewhat morbid subject into a fascinating read. <b>-- </b><i><b>La Crosse Tribune</b></i>

Author Information

Elizabeth Greenwood is the author of Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, VICE, O, the Oprah Magazine, Longreads, GQ, and others. 

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