Book Description
This revised edition of a cross-cultural study of rituals surrounding death has become a standard text in anthropology, sociology, and religion. Part of its fascination and success is that in understanding other people's death rituals we are able to gain a better understanding of our own. Peter Metcalf and Richard Huntington refer to a wide variety of examples from different continents and epochs. They compare the great tombs of the Berawan of Borneo and the pyramids of Egypt, or the dramas of medieval French royal funerals and the burial alive of the Dinka "masters of the spear" in the Sudan, and other burials which at first sight seem to have little in common. Many of these cases are anthropological classics, and the authors use these examples partly in order to illustrate the many different ways in which anthropologists have tried to interpret these rites. A new introduction reviews theoretical developments in the anthropological study of death since the book first appeared in 1979.
Customer Reviews:
Groundbreaking ethnographies.......2006-12-04
This is by far the most enjoyable and fascinating comparative case-studies I've read concerning treatment of the dead in Southeast Asia. I suggest this book to anyone wishing to crossculturally examine views of the deceased and the rituals associated with death. Superb, absolutely brilliant.
Raven Digitalis
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting!.......2004-09-05
This book tells it all. The book is very informative and if you are ever planning on saving with funeral costs, you must read this. You should check with your local funeral home regarding buying your own casket. They are not all as receptive as they should be to receiving your own pre-purchased one. My mother said the so true words at my fathers' funeral 14 years ago. She said to the undertaker "Boy you guys sure have a racket going!"
READ THIS BOOK!
A Book Everyone Should Read !!.......2000-12-14
This 238 page book is loaded with the facts we all need to intelligently make final arrangements for our loved ones, or pre-need for ourselves. Everyone should read this book as it guides you and makes it easier for you to make funeral arrangements. It will help you arrange for the most appropriate funeral cost-effectively, and you'll avoid the pitfalls that can occur at your time of need. Major topics include: Caskets, embalming, vaults, visiting the mortuary, memorial gardens, FTC rules, paying for the funeral, how to deal with the funeral director and more. It exposes rip-offs, and exposes some of the tactics used that can result in your spending more than is necessary. Most funeral directors are very helpful and honest at your time of need. This book will help you make the decisions that must be made. It is written by someone well experienced in the field, and is written honestly and with wit. You will gain by reading this book. It WILL help you get through a difficult period.
Very Enlightening Reading.......1999-08-25
I quite enjoyed this book. I have been interested in the funeral industry as my father was once a mortician. I believe that anyone who wants to educate themselves about the industry should read this expose.
Astonishing insight into the death care industry........1998-08-25
Profits of Death is tremendously well-written and presents important information that affects each of us at some point in our lives. No one wants to think about death, but Darryl presents his information in an empowering, yet "light" and somewhat entertaining manner. A must read for everyone! Darryl not only provides readers with insights into what goes on when you plan a funeral, but provides specific tips to prevent one from being scammed.
Book Description
In Society and Death in Ancient Egypt, Janet Richards considers social stratification in Middle Kingdom Egypt, taking as the point of departure the assumption that a ‘middle class’ arose during this period. By focusing on the entire range of mortuary behavior, rather than on elite remains, she shows how social and political processes can be reconstructed. Richards demonstrates that the roots of the middle class can be traced to the later Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period. Combining information from excavations, ancient Egyptian texts, and decorative reliefs and statuary, the book weaves together a wide variety of sources that aid us in understanding how Middle Kingdom Egyptians thought about society and death and how their practices and landscapes relating to death reveal information about the living society.
Book Description
This comprehensive handbook provides a solid foundation in helping skills related to successful funeral service practice.
Book Description
Pathology and Microbiology for Mortuary Science is a comprehensive book for the study of pathology and microbiology written for mortuary science students, as a resource for educators, and as a reference for funeral directors and embalmers. The book is designed around the current American Board of Funeral Service Education's Curriculum Outlines for pathology and microbiology. Quick reference appendices provide a review of pertinent anatomy and physiology. Case studies in chapters that discuss specific diseases allow learners to review the postmortem condition of human remains in relation to the disease.
Customer Reviews:
Good book for entry level mortuary students .......2006-08-01
I bought this book with the goal to review current mortuary science information. Since I have graduated from a mortuary sciences program many years ago, I found this book was an overall worthwhile review with a few updates for me. It is basic enough and covers relevant material and I can see why it would be used as a text for entry level mortuary science students. My two reservations are: 1. The text is only a basic survey level book. (Having recently taken a 5 unit college course in Microbiology, I quickly realized it is not even close to breadth or depth in comparison to texts for college level Microbiology.) Therefore, I concluded this text can't be used as a significant or a complete resource, to aid those already in the field, or those who may need more knowledge. 2. The book is lacking in the aspect of bridging the material to direct application for funeral home employees and embalmers; the few random mentions of such could be greatly improved and would make the book far more useful to all level of readers. What few "connections" that were there, I did find helpful, but I found wanting far more that this book offered.
Average customer rating:
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The Funeral Director's Practice Management Handbook
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ASIN: 0133453154 |
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Thanatochemistry: A Survey of General, Organic, and Biochemistry for Funeral Service Professionals (2nd Edition)
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Similar Items:
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Embalming: History, Theory, and Practice
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Pathology and Microbiology for Mortuary Science
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Mortuary Science: A Sourcebook
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The Psychosocial Aspects of Death and Dying
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Mortuary Law:
ASIN: 013654195X |
Book Description
This book presents the essential facts of chemistry and the chemical aspects of other science related to mortuary science. The book follows closely the recommended course curriculum outline of the American Board of Funeral Service Education. The organization of the book flows logically from inorganic to organic to biochemistry. It begins with a discussion of general chemistry in the first part of the book. Among the topics addressed are: measurements; matter and energy; nature of matter and the changes in matter; chemical reactions; solution; ionization; and selected compounds such as oxygen, hydrogen, water, and ammonia. The second part of the book segues into a discussion of organic chemistry. Among the topics discussed are: nomenclature; reactions; and the uses of fundamental compounds. The third section of the book presents a discussion of biochemistry. The book provides embalming applications throughout and concludes with a chapter summarizing the action and composition of embalming fluids. A valuable chemistry reference book for mortuary professionals.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book!!!!.......1999-03-20
This is an Excellent book dealing with chemicals and compounds use in Everyday Embalming. I recommend anyone GOING INTO Mortuary Science read this BEFORE there 2 semester. Mr. Metz @ Cypress College RULES!!!
Amazon.com
Probably the most complete recent book on the physical and cultural aspects of death. Covers everything from embalming, cremation, cryogenics, autopsies, organ donation, anatomical dissection, burials, funerals, decay, cannibalism, body snatching, use of corpses in secret rituals and religious ceremonies. This book sheds light on a subject that our society conveniently buries--literally and figuratively. As the author argues, the topic of death is treated with even more circumspection than pornography.
From the Publisher
Written for both laymen and professionals, this book gives answers the questions that everyone wants to ask in a question and answer format. What really happens to a dead body? What does our culture do with corpses and what have other cultures done? How does a body turn to dust? What happens in embalming, cremation, cryogenic preservation, autopsies, anatomical dissection, organ donation, burials, and funerals? How do we transport bodies and what does a medical examiner really do? How about the more bizarre uses for corpses, such as cannibalism, body snatching, use in secret rites, research, and religious ceremonies? This book describes individual and societal experiences, drawing not only from the medical sciences, but also from the arcane and secretive world of the funeral industry. We rarely speak about death—because it is the pornography of our culture and we know so little about it. This book sheds light into dark corners of our society and proves that, once again, truth is stranger than fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for the morbidly curious..........2007-07-18
Personally, I have always had a passing interest in mortuary science. Perhaps this is because what goes on "behind the closed doors" of the funeral home is always kept so discrete...usually for good reason. This book has been extremely helpful in allowing me to have a "peak" beyond those doors, and is very descriptive about what happens to us when we pass on. After reading this book, I feel that many of my questions have been answered, at least for the most part. The only reservation I have about this book is the fact that it reads more like a text...very scientific. If you're looking for light and leisurely material to browse, this book is probably not for you. But, if it's the "real deal" you're after, and are serious about learning more about what takes place when we die...this is the one!
Encyclopedia of death.......2007-04-28
This book is a virtual encyclopedia of death. It is extremely comprehensive, covering subjects ranging from organ donation, brain death, corpse disposal in other cultures and throughout history, the funeral industry, burials, cremations, and much more. At the end there is even a handy-dandy section that you can fill out to leave for your loved ones with instructions about how to dispose your body, what kind of funeral you want, etc.
It is highly informative yet not too technical, written in plain language, and in a highly readable question and answer style, so you only read that which you are interested in. I appreciated the fact that there are no gruesome or gory photographs of corpses, only drawings and historical engravings that are not too offensive to the sensitive among us.
There is obviously no love lost between the author and the funeral industry, and he frequently subtly (and not-so-subtly) condemns the outrageous costs and selling tactics used by the industry, often using dry humor or a tongue-in-cheek manner. The author also has the more positive agenda of promoting organ donations, and seeks to do that by thoroughly explaining how the process is done.
This book covers just about everything you ever wanted to know about death and the history of corpse disposal. However, it did leave out a couple of subjects which I would have been interested in reading. The first is the so-called "coffin birth" which happens when a pregnant woman dies (believe me, this is not too gory to be covered in this book, which goes into detail about decomposition, cannibalism, shrunken heads, etc.).
The other is about what options are available to families who can't afford a funeral or internment for their loved ones. I am not talking about "pauper's graves" for indigents/homeless, which is covered in the book, but simply options for low income families who have no funeral insurance and can't afford to pay thousands for a casket or even cremation - what kinds of social agencies are out there to help in these case that may offer lower cost disposals? From whom do you seek help if this happens to your family (i.e. social workers at hospitals)? These are questions that still need answers.
Overall, though, this is an impressive undertaking and is the only book you'll ever need to read for a generalized study of death.
An Encyclopedic Overview of Death & Dying.......2005-07-26
Of the many books on death and dying that I've read over the past six months, Kenneth Iserson's "Death to Dust" is by far the most comprehensive and enjoyable of the bunch. Weighing in at over 800 pages, "Death to Dust" is truly an encyclopedic approach to the subject.
Iserson divides his discussion into fourteen chapters; the shortest is about eleven pages (the introduction), while the longest is a massive 80+ pages (the average chapter length is about 50 pages). He adeptly covers all aspects of death, dying, grief, mourning, and post-mortem activities and concerns. He discusses practical matters, such as how to arrange a funeral, bodily transport across state lines, embalming, funerary rituals and etiquette, cremation, and advance directives. Iserson even includes a helpful, ten-page "Body-disposal Instructions and Discussion Guide," designed to help the living ease the inevitable burden their next of kin will face when they pass away.
However, "Death to Dust" is not simply a consumer guide. Although he does offer a wealth of practical information, he also launches into more esoteric and macabre discussions. Some chapters are certainly not for the faint of heart. If cannibalism, headhunting, corpse dismemberment, grave robbing, anatomical dissection, autopsies, or putrification give you the heebie-jeebies, read with caution! True to its encyclopedic nature, "Death to Dust" takes care to cover ALL aspects of death and dying - particularly the more unpleasant and morbid topics. Iserson approaches these subjects with a dry sense of humor. Although I thought that his witticisms spiced the book up and made his discussion more entertaining, some audiences might be taken aback by Iserson's (sometimes) light tone.
It's obvious that Iserson (or his editor!) spent a lot of time making the book easily navigable (an especially important detail in a book this size!). Each of the fourteen chapters is further sub-divided into lettered subsections (usually 25+ per chapter). The subsections each have their own heading and read like short articles, so that readers can easily browse through the book and skim over desired sections. The index and table of contents are also very detailed. Finally, Iserson has gone to great pains to cite every single reference he consulted while constructing the book - and there are many! The typical chapter has hundreds of footnotes, which are conveniently included at the end of each individual chapter.
For the macabre among us, if you buy just one book on death and dying this year, look no further - "Death to Dust" is it! Those looking to arrange for their own post-mortem plans might find the book helpful as well, although there are consumer guides designed specifically for advising individuals of wills, advance directives, organ donation, and corpse disposal ("Caring for the Dead: Your Final Act of Love," by Lisa Carlson, is an excellent place to start). I'm not sure I'd recommend "Death to Dust" to the newly bereaved, however; some of the subject matter might prove a bit upsetting. On the upside, it's easy to skip over these sections altogether, as the book is very organized.
My only gripe: Iserson included WAY too many quotes from the self-proclaimed "poet-mortician," Thomas Lynch - who, I have determined, is a gawd-awful poet with an exaggerated view of his own self-importance. I literally cringed every time Iserson included excerpts of his amateurish prose - it's just that painful.
- Kelly Garbato
Author & Contributor
Hot Dog!, LLC / Always Remembered
Very medical..........2005-04-12
...yet captivating. This tome outlines everything that happens to dead bodies, from death itself and forensic pathology to a visit to the embalmers. It outlines exactly, medically, what happens to a body upon cremation, natural decomposition and everything in between. Although there is significant medical terminology, it is written in a way that the layperson can understand. It's truly not for the squeamish but if this is your interest, you need to add this to your collection.
Good source for students of "death".......2004-04-14
Anyone considering going into the mortuary business should read this book. It will either confirm your choice of occupation or totally put you off the subject. The history of funeral practice was especially interesting. Man has always feared the unknown and death is high on the list. And history shows that humans still have not conquered that fear. This book breaks down what actually happens from your last breath until your body is disposed of, whether it be burial, cremation, autopsies, organ donation or....The glossary is useful and there is even some "gallows humor". All in all, it's worth reading.
Book Description
This practical volume focuses on the study of historic burial ground monuments but also covers some below ground archaeology, as some projects will involve the study of both. The linking between above and below ground data has rarely been achieved, and the integration of graveyard data within settlement and landscape archaeology has also been likewise rarely attempted. Some areas covered are:
-A brief history and theoretical approached to historic mortuary archaeology;
-Attitudes to death, the body and remembrance;
-How to carry out a study;
-Conservation, education, and display.
Mortuary Monuments and Burial Grounds of the Historic Period will be an incomparable source for academic archaeologists, cultural resource and heritage management archaeologists, government heritage agencies, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of archaeology focused on the historic or post-medieval period, as well as forensic researchers and anthropologists.
Book Description
Since prehistoric times, Andean societies have been organized around the ayllu, a grouping of real or ceremonial kinspeople who share labor, resources, and ritual obligations. Many Andean scholars believe that the ayllu is as ancient as Andean culture itself, possibly dating back as far as 6000 B.C., and that it arose to alleviate the hardships of farming in the mountainous Andean environment. In this boldly revisionist book, however, William Isbell persuasively argues that the ayllu developed during the latter half of the Early Intermediate Period (around A.D. 200) as a means of resistance to the process of state formation. Drawing on archaeological evidence, as well as records of Inca life taken from the chroniclers, Isbell asserts that prehistoric ayllus were organized around the veneration of deceased ancestors, whose mummified bodies were housed in open sepulchers, or chullpas, where they could be visited by descendants seeking approval and favors. By charting the temporal and spatial distribution of chullpa ruins, Isbell offers a convincing new explanation of where, when, and why the ayllu developed.
Books:
- Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems
- Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems
- Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems
- Classical Electrodynamics Third Edition
- Commutative Algebra: with a View Toward Algebraic Geometry (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)
- Concepts and Applications of Finite Element Analysis, 4th Edition
- Conceptual Models of Nursing: Analysis and Application (4th Edition)
- Conceptual Physics
- Continuum Mechanics and Theory of Materials
- Diagonally-Parked in a Parallel Universe : Working Through Social Anxiety
Books Index
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