Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode: Ashely Alker, "99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them"
Host: Rebecca Buchanan
Guest: Dr. Ashley Alker
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This engaging episode features a conversation between host Rebecca Buchanan and Dr. Ashley Alker, emergency physician and author of "99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them." The discussion covers the main themes and organization of the book, memorable medical anecdotes, the intersection of history and modern health knowledge, and the importance of combating misinformation for public well-being. Alker blends humor and grave topics to make life-saving science approachable for everyone.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Organization of the Book

• Purpose: The book is Dr. Alker's attempt to make life-saving, evidence-based medical knowledge accessible and engaging for the general public.
• Background: Dr. Alker draws on her work as an emergency medicine doctor as well as her previous experience in medical screenwriting and consulting for TV and film.
• Structure: The book is divided into 13 sections, focusing on preventable causes of death, such as infections, heart disease, pregnancy, drugs, animals, food, and warfare.
  • Quote: "These are 99 things you don't have to die from. So that's good news." (Ashley Alker, 00:29)

2. Notable Medical Case Studies & Preventable Deaths

a. Infections and Vaccine-Preventable Disease

• Leprosy:
  • Still present in over 120 countries and present in southern US states due to armadillos acting as a reservoir.
  • Stresses historical misconceptions vs. actual science (not everyone can contract it, not highly contagious for all).
  • Quote: "We thought that it was a very contagious disease…Actually...it's only contagious to some people." (Ashley Alker, 04:10)
• Strep Throat:
  • Once a major killer before antibiotics (rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, abscesses). Now easily cured but not to be dismissed.
  • Quote: "Untreated strep throat causes rheumatic fever. It causes scarlet fever...this is a disease that actually did used to kill a lot of people." (Ashley Alker, 04:10)
• Botulism:
  • Risks for infants under one year (honey can contain spores), not common knowledge.
• Vaccines in Society:
  • Measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) are preventable thanks to vaccines.
  • Dangers of non-vaccination discussed with an anecdote about a disease outbreak linked to someone at Disney World.
  • Quote: "The estimated number of lives saved over the past 50 years worldwide from vaccines was 156 million…101 million of those lives were infants." (Ashley Alker, 08:51)

b. Pregnancy and Maternal Health

• Personal Experience: Dr. Alker had twins during the writing of this book, emphasizing the real risks even healthy women face during pregnancy (preeclampsia, embolisms, postpartum cardiomyopathy).
• Informed Consent: Importance of education about risks and benefits so women can make informed choices.
  • Quote: "It's an undertaking that is life threatening for young, healthy women with no medical problems. …There should be more appreciation for the fact that…a perfectly healthy woman is putting her body at risk." (Ashley Alker, 10:40)
• Vaccine Hesitancy: Empathy for parental concerns, but stresses evidence and the high vaccination rates among doctors themselves.

c. Humor in Medicine: The "Butt Stuff" Chapter

• Addresses frequent emergency room problem of people inserting objects into body orifices.
• Emphasizes the memorable and bizarre aspects of practicing medicine, making the learning “stick.”
  • Quote: "Everyone expected the butt stuff chapter. They're like, do you have a chapter about things in people's butts? I'm like, yes, don't worry, it's in there." (Ashley Alker, 14:39)
• Relates to medical history through places like the Mutter Museum, tying in medical oddities.

3. Other Lethal Hazards: Drugs, Animals, Food, and Poisons

a. Drugs

• Everyday Risks: Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the #1 cause of acute liver failure in the US.
• Supplements: Unregulated supplements can be dangerous; dosages may be inaccurate.
• Alcohol: Withdrawal (not use) of alcohol and certain sedatives can be fatal—more so than opioid withdrawal.
  • Quote: "Most people don't know that Tylenol is the number one cause of acute liver failure in the United States." (Ashley Alker, 17:01)
• Quality vs Quantity of Life: Beyond not dying, it's about maximizing healthy years.

b. Animals

• Typical dangers (snakes, spiders) and surprising ones (hippos in Africa, exotic aquatic animals).
• Unexpected killers: Hippos are not often recognized as most dangerous mammals after humans.
• Aquatic dangers: Venomous shells, electric eels, blue-ringed octopus, and others.
  • Quote: "Australia and Africa have some pretty interesting animals…But the animals that I really like and I'm interested in that are sometimes deadly are generally like ocean and aquatic animals." (Ashley Alker, 20:32)

c. Poison and Health Misinformation

• Health Influencers: Critiques social media personalities pushing misinformation, sometimes causing real harm.
  • Quote: "The credibility these days is not people who are licensed, people who are credentialed…If an influencer lies to you, they might lose some followers, maybe not." (Ashley Alker, 23:06)
• Cites the case of a young American woman running a medical charity in Africa without medical credentials, leading to preventable deaths.
  • Quote: "Poor people do not. Not deserve poor medicine." (Ashley Alker, 25:42)
• Misinformation vs. truth: Lies spread much faster online because “misinformation is so much sexier than the truth.”
  • Quote: "MIT…showed that misinformation on the Internet moves about six times faster than the truth…" (Ashley Alker, 23:06)

4. Natural and Man-made Disasters

a. Elements & Accidents

• Deaths from environmental threats such as earthquakes, tornadoes, lightning, volcanoes, and scuba diving incidents.
  • Quote: "By passing down faulty information, such as stand in doorways [during earthquakes]…That's actually not true." (Ashley Alker, 28:40)
• Myths and fallacies about what keeps you safe (i.e., door frames in earthquakes) dispelled.

b. Crime & Serial Killers

• US has a disproportionately high number of serial killers; they're often not “evil geniuses” but average people with narcissistic traits.
• Tells a personal story about unknowingly meeting a serial killer during school abroad.

c. Warfare

• Covers biological, chemical, nuclear warfare, and their effects (how they kill, how to protect from fallout).
• Explains relevance during contemporary conflicts and the necessity of understanding risks.
  • Quote: "It's just, you know, stuff that's interesting but also...doesn't hurt to have the knowledge, that's for sure." (Ashley Alker, 33:13)
• Anthrax receives its own chapter due to unique US relevance and public health importance.

5. Purpose, Storytelling, and Combating Medical Misinformation

• Approach: Uses narrative, humor, and memorable real-life cases to teach medical science and public health principles.
• Combatting Misinformation: Written as a direct, responsible medium—unlike mutable social media posts.
  • Quote: "I think that entertaining people with stories and passive education…is one of the best ways to…combat medical misinformation in this day and age." (Ashley Alker, 34:46)
• Final Message: The book arms people with practical, science-backed information for everyday health, so “the information in this book not only can save your life, but it also can help you make better decisions day to day, or the decision that's right for you, whatever that is.” (Ashley Alker, 13:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I didn't get to include all the ways because eventually my editor asked that I stop writing." (Ashley Alker, 00:29)
• "Stories are how we've communicated...throughout the existence of mankind. It's how we taught each other things." (Ashley Alker, 15:24)
• "Natural things can kill you, you can die from water. There's...several chapters...about that." (Ashley Alker, 17:01)
• "The afterword is titled the Afterlife, which unfortunately...I can't tell you much about the afterlife, but I can take you to the door." (Ashley Alker, 34:46)
• "Read the book. Like, do that. So, you know, I just—That's actually one of the reasons I wrote the book..." (Ashley Alker, 27:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:29 – Introduction to the Book’s Purpose
• 02:02 – How Book Is Structured; Global Health Perspective
• 04:10 – Leprosy, Historical and Modern Context; Discussing Strep Throat
• 08:51 – Vaccine Impact Statistics; Social Responsibility
• 10:40 – Pregnancy Risks and Medical Informed Consent
• 14:39 – Medical Humor: The “Butt Stuff” Chapter
• 17:01 – Dangers of Over-the-Counter Drugs and Supplements
• 20:32 – Surprising Animal Dangers
• 23:06 – The Dangers of Medical Misinformation and Health Influencers
• 28:40 – Environmental Disasters and Debunking Safety Myths
• 31:41 – Serial Killers: The American Obsession
• 33:13 – Understanding War, Weapons, and Modern Threats
• 34:46 – Why Storytelling Matters in Health Education and Public Safety

Tone and Language

Dr. Alker blends direct, matter-of-fact explanations with dry wit and humor, making serious subjects surprisingly approachable. She uses vivid stories to make lessons stick, never shying away from the bizarre or darkly comedic side of medicine. Buchanan’s style is warm, curious, and inclusive, helping guide listeners through both technical and personal territory.

Further Resources and Promotion

• Book Availability: "99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them" is available in all formats (hardcover, ebook, audiobook) at bookstores everywhere.
• Author Online: Dr. Alker is present on social media under @aalkermd (albeit reluctantly).
  • Quote: "I mostly post about the book right now. I'm doing my best, but like I said, I can't stand social media." (Ashley Alker, 37:01)

Final Takeaway

Through "99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them," Dr. Ashley Alker empowers readers with life-saving, myth-busting knowledge, contextualized through story and humor. Her aim is to educate, entertain, and give everyone—from the medically curious to the casual reader—the tools to make safer, more informed decisions about their health and survival in an unpredictable world.