The Whole Death Catalog

In the tradition of Mary Roachs bestselling Stiff and Jessica Mitfords classic exposé The American Way of Death comes this meticulously researched, refreshingly irreverent, and lavishly illustrated look at death from acclaimed author Harold Schechter. With his trademark fearlessness and bracing sense of humor, Schechter digs deep into a wealth of sources to unearth a treasure trove of surprising facts, amusing anecdotes, practical information, and timeless wisdom about that undiscovered country to which we will all one day travel. Topics include Death anxietyis your fear of death normal or off the scale? You cant take it with you . . . or can you? Wacky wills and bizarre bequests The hospice experiencegoing out in comfort and style Deathbed and funeral etiquettehow to help the dying and mourn the dead with dignity Death on demandwhy the right-to-die movement may be the next big thing Good-bye everybodyfamous last words The embalmers artall dressed up and nowhere to go Behind the scenes at your local funeral home Alternative burial choicesfrom coral reefs to outer space From the cold, hard facts of death to lessons in the art of dying well, from what happens in the bodys last living moments to what transpires in the ground or in the furnace, from near-death experiences to speculation on the afterlife, The Whole Death Catalog leaves no gravestone unturned.