Mark Harris (10)

Grave Matters follows families who found in "green" burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the local funeral parlor. They have embraced a range of natural options, new and old, that are redefining a better American way of death. The author details the embalming process and the environmental aftermath of the standard funeral. He also traces the history of burial in America, from frontier cemeteries to today, reporting on real families who opted for more simple, natural returns.… (altro)

This book was pretty good- a good look into the embalming process (a lot more abusive to the corpse than I imagined-and I was already against embalming!) I like the historical context for how our current system of burial came to be (surprisingly related to abraham lincoln!)- as well as great descriptions of several more natural (and green) methods. Interesting that these methods seem a lot more personal too. There were a lot more stories of the grieving than I expected. For each chapter he follows one family through the process, so you get a whole story on the deceased.… (altro)

This is an excellent resource about various funeral practices
in the United States. It clearly is biased towards its concluding chapter on "green" burials, but still offers explicit information on other types of burials.

If you are faint of heart, skip the first chapter on embalming (not for the squeamish). The subsequent chapters deal with cremation, burials at sea, memorial reefs, home funerals, coffins, backyard burials, and "green" cemetaries.

While it cannot be used as a comprehensive legal definition of all the state and federal laws, it does guide readers to understand what some of the questions need to be in researching options for YOUR area, and where you can find the information you may need.… (altro)