The Whole Death Catalog

The Whole Death Catalog A Lively Guide to the Bitter End

Paperback (01 Sep 2009)

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Publisher's Synopsis

In the tradition of Mary Roach's bestselling Stiff and Jessica Mitford's 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 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.

Book information

ISBN: 9780345499646
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Imprint: Ballantine
Pub date:
DEWEY: 306.9
DEWEY edition: 22
Language: English
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 560g
Height: 231mm
Width: 187mm
Spine width: 20mm