For those of you that have written a book, how did you start it? Would it be the table of contents or a simple thesis statement? I want to write a book on death but do not know where to start. I have read about 40 books on the subject.

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.... there is no formula, no secret potion that makes you a writer. What it takes is one idea, that idea becomes a root, that root becomes a tree, and the tree grows outlining branches. All it takes is one idea.

start with research and taking notes, stuff like that, then start with some brainstorming and plan a basic outline and build from there

I've written two books that are novels. The first took years to manifest in its final published form, while the second required only about a year from beginning to publication. In each instance, I knew the general plot before I began the actual writing and just wrote the stories as they unfolded, titling the chapters as I wrote. In your case, writing nonfiction, I think that you might first make an outline of exactly what you wish to write; you could include chapter titles in your outline if you like. As the author and creator of your prospective book, you may write the book however you wish -- there are no hard and fast rules. If you aspire to have the result appeal to general readerships, you should endeavor to produce an interesting book which will be able to attract readers even though your subject matter is potentially dismal. What you write initially will just be a rough draft, so experiment with your beginnings; see what works for you. Don't agonize over the writing; simply, once you've made your plans, just begin writing. Since you'll be using your computer's word processing program (assumedly), you can easily alter and edit as you progress with the writing. Good luck!

I would start with a rough thesis statement. Each chapter should answer a smaller question, which in turn slowly leads to your conclusion. Also, as well as reading books on the subject, consider doing some interviews - are their any experts on the topic willing to give you their time? If you want to mass market your book, try to add some human interest to make it more accessible to the general public.