The American Way of Death
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The American Way of Death | |
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| Author | Jessica Mitford |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Exposé |
| Publisher | Buccaneer Books |
| Publication date | 1963 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 333 |
| ISBN | ISBN 156849159X |
| OCLC Number | 231893352 |
| Preceded by | 'Hons and Rebels' |
| Followed by | ''The Trial of Dr. Spock, the Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., Michael Ferber, Mitchel Goodman, and Marcus Raskin'' |
The American Way of Death was an exposé of abuses in the funeral home industry in the United States, written by Jessica Mitford and published in 1963. Feeling that death had become much too sentimentalized, highly commercialized, and, above all, excessively expensive, Mitford published her research showing the ways in which funeral directors take advantage of bereaved friends and relatives of loved ones, and sweet talk them into paying far more than necessary for the funeral and other costs, such as a grievance counselor, a title which they allowed themselves completely without merit.
An updated revision, The American Way of Death Revisited, completed by Mitford just before her death in 1996, appeared in 1998.
[edit] References
- Review of The American Way of Death Revisited, Salon, July 29, 1998
