In Rest in Peace, Gary Laderman traces the origins of American funeral rituals, from the evolution of embalming techniques during and after the Civil War and the shift from home funerals to funeral homes at the turn of the century, to the ...

This book gives readers a glimpse at the questions that must be answered eventually, and such foresight may ease the pain a little when the time for difficult decisions is at hand.

In the morbidly fascinating tradition of Stiff, Grave Matters follows families who found in "green" burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off on offer at the local ...

Designed to complement the clergy and funeral director’s role in the funeral planning process, this book walks families through the many decisions they will make at the time of a death and helps them create a ceremony that will be both ...

Based on nearly three decades of research and teaching on funeral rites, this volume promises to fill an important gap in the cross-cultural literature on bereavement, while answering an important question for our generation: Do funerals ...