Having spent a quarter-century in the political arena, Annie Presley has had a full life: enduring a near-plane crash with Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft and Sen. Christopher Bond and sitting tight for an hour with Margaret Thatcher while a couple of armed protesters were hauled to jail, among other memorable episodes.

Part of living, too, is preparing for death. And Presley and co-author Christy Howard have written Read This ... When I'm Dead: A Guide to Getting Your Stuff Together for Your Loved Ones, a fill-in-the-blank guide to organizing your key information, thoughts, and wishes for your heirs.

Presley, a native Missourian and accomplished fundraising and political consultant, discusses both her eventful career and her new book on planning for the end in a public conversation with University of Missouri-Kansas City professor and former U.S. ambassador to Portugal Allan Katz.