A few weeks ago, we shared the titles of a few books that might be of interest to end of life doulas or anyone else interested in death culture. Well, it turns out we weren’t finished! If you’re looking for good books about death and dying, here are a few more titles to add to your list (and don’t worry, there are even more where these came from)!
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, Caitlin Doughty (W.W. Norton, 2017) – Caitlin Doughty, founder of the Order of the Good Death, is the superstar of the death-positive movement. In this follow-up to her first memoir (Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, a personal account of her journey from crematory assistant to independent funeral director and online influencer), Doughty documents her travels to several different countries around the globe, where she participates in funeral rites that vary wildly from place to place—and that are all completely different from your average American funeral. Warm, engaging, and witty, this eye-opening book illustrates that there is no single “right” way to say goodbye to someone when they die.
All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work, Hayley Campbell (St. Martin’s Press, 2022) – Journalist Hayley Campbell, admitting right up front to having a lifelong fascination with death, put together this book of interviews with people whose careers cover all aspects of the death and dying process. Her subjects range from the obvious (embalmers, gravediggers, a retired prison executioner), to those who deal with less usual situations (a crime scene cleaning specialist, a bereavement midwife). In these interviews we gain perspective on both life and death from people who see a lot of it every day—how they cope, and how their unique experiences may give them a different worldview from people with more “regular” jobs. A detailed exploration of every aspect of death in the contemporary western world.
Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries, Greg Melville (Harry N. Abrams, 2022) – In this pop history account of significant cemeteries in America, Greg Melville focuses entirely on the pieces of land where the dead are laid to rest. With the curiosity and humor of a skilled amateur historian, he focuses on specific well-known American cemeteries, recounting the stories of why, when, and where each one was built, and for whom. A fun read, this book occasionally touches on political issues of class and race, but manages somehow to avoid delving too deeply into the emotional and/or psychological attitudes regarding death and grieving which are inevitably attached to the places where Americans lay their dead to rest.
That’s all for today, but these three books cover such a wide range of information that hopefully they’ll hold you until our next death book round up, whenever that may be. Don’t forget to check the Movement for information about what’s going on with the IDLM Book Club, run by Kristina Golden. The next book will be Memento Mori: Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life, by Joanne Ebenstein. We would love to have you join us for the discussion!
