The American Way of Death Revisited
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.74 (752 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0679771867 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-08-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Jessica Mitford's exposé of the funeral industry, a number one bestseller upon first publication, is a model of muckraking--an almost incredible description of how undertakers in the U.S. Equally impressive, however, is her chapter called "The Nosy Clergy," which describes the collusion and competition between America's undertakers and its preachers. The book's greatest treasure is probably her shocking and hilarious description of exactly what happens in the process of embalming. --Michael Joseph Gross. assault people's souls and wallets. The American Way of Death Revisited is almost unforgivably funny. Before her death in 1996, Mitford devoted most of her energy to this revised edition of her masterwork, which zeroes in on funeral prepayment (the chapter is titled "Pay Now--Die Poorer"), the new multinational funeral corporations ("A Global Village of the Dead"), and the Federal Trade Commission'
Should be required reading in high school shopgirl People need to read this long BEFORE they are faced with funereal business. I'm fortunate in that I live in a small town with a locally-owned, secind generation funeral home. They respect their client's wishes and don't try to sell what isn't needed. The owner has read this book, as well, and loves it!. Very well researched book and very funny in parts Very well researched book and very funny in parts It uses facts, and not the opinions of the author. As an English immigrant to the US, it makes me even more aware of the yawning culture gap, but gives me hope in the statistics which show US trends as cheaper funerals and more cremations.. "Intense" according to Better Way. It's written by a powerful writer and researcher. Learned a lot. Also read her American Way of Birth, which convinced me to have my children at home with a midwife.
The American Way of Death Revisited confronts new trends, including the success of the profession's lobbyists in Washington, inflated cremation costs, the telemarketing of pay-in-advance graves, and the effects of monopolies in a death-care industry now dominated by multinational corporations. "Mitford's funny and unforgiving book is the best memento mori we are likely to get. It should be updated and reissued each decade for our spiritual health."--The New York Review of BooksOnly the scathing wit and searching intelligence of Jessica Mitford could turn an exposé of the American funeral industry into a book that is at once deadly serious and side-splittingly funny. "Brilliant--hilarious--A must-read for anyone planning to throw a funeral in their lifetime."--New York Post"Witty and penetrating--it speaks the truth."--The Washington Post. When first published in 1963 this landmark of investigative journalism became a runaway bestseller and resulted in legislation to protect grieving families from the unscrupulous sales practices of those in "the dismal trade."Just before her death in 1996, Mitford thoroughly revised and updated her classic study. With its hard-nosed consumer activism and a satiric vision out of Evelyn Waugh's novel The Loved One, The American Way of Death Revisited will not fail to inform, delight, and disturb