The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780345499646)

In the tradition of Mary Roach's bestselling Stiff and Jessica Mitford's classic expos 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 anxiety-is your fear of death normal or off the scale?
- You can't take it with you . . . or can you? Wacky wills and bizarre bequests
- The hospice experience-going out in comfort and style
- Deathbed and funeral etiquette-how to help the dying and mourn the dead with dignity
- Death on demand-why the right-to-die movement may be the next big thing
- "Good-bye everybody"-famous last words
- The embalmer's art-all dressed up and nowhere to go
- Behind the scenes at your local funeral home
- Alternative burial choices-from 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 body's 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.

Author: Harold Schechter
ISBN-10: 0345499646
ISBN-13: 9780345499646
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Language: English
Published: 06/02/2009
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.10h x 7.20w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/15/2009 pg. 103
Booklist 05/01/2009 pg. 52