Book excerpt: A comprehensive self-help book about the different kinds of loss we experience over a lifetime, and the sorrow that accompanies them. In this guide, psychotherapist Nanette Burton Mongelluzzo considers the different ways we experience loss and grief, in all their variations—whether through the actual death of a loved one, including a beloved pet, or losses experienced through such events as divorce, medical problems, and natural disasters—and examines what these experiences do to us psychologically, biologically, and emotionally. She also offers understanding and the needed tools for moving through the various experiences, both big and small. Everyone is touched by loss. It begins early in our lives and continues through many ages and stages. Through the use of real-life vignettes, and fascinating facts on loss and grief within the American cultural landscape, this book provides both insight and comfort.