One task of philosophy is to help us think more clearly. The another—largely neglected nowadays—is to help us lead more fulfilled lives. Michael Cholbi sets out on both avenues with Grief. The Edinburgh University philosophy professor begins by defining terms: mourning is a public act, often keyed to culturally specific rituals, while grief is private, albeit also shaped by culture. Mourning can be one way to express grief, but while we can mourn genocide, grief is specific to an emotional connection with the deceased. Even if all lives matter, they can never matter equally to us. Grief can manifest as depression, but in this wise book, Cholbi warns against “medicalizing” a natural emotional response.