Dying for Beginners: Don't call me wise. Don't call me brave. Just call me curious.

Former editor of Question Time Charlie Courtauld was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000 at the age of 34. As a passionate communicator he wrote a highly personal diary of his experience of the illness which was published as a newspaper column and blog. His wish to share his account of life with MS has led to this collection of thought-provoking snapshots - charting his hopes and fears about MS as well the ordinary ups and downs of life as a father of three. Funny irreverent unflinchingly honest and at times very sad Charlie intended his blog to be something of a guide to dying but in doing this he has given us a life-affirming take on the preciousness of ordinary daily life and an invitation to think seriously about the thing we prefer not to think about. As Charlie puts it: There are no second tries or best-of-threes. So we dont want to mess it up. Thanks to this bloody MS I am dying. Not immediately: more than a year. But fewer than five. And I want to get it right. Join me as I find out about this thing.