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Book Reviews
Cemetery-themed books and more |
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Book Reviews
Cemetery-themed books and more |
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Cemetery Book Reviews
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The Whole Death Catalog - by Harold Schechter Cypress Lawn: Guardian of California's Heritage - by Cindy Ehrlich (editor), Michael E. Richards (photographer) Healing: The Essential Guide to Helping Others Overcome Grief & Loss - by Alicia King Forever L.A.: A Field Guide to Los Angeles Area Cemeteries & Their Residents - by Douglas Keister Cemeteries - by Keith Eggener The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End Harold Schechter New York: Ballantine Books, 2009  When you see the name "The Whole Death Catalog," you may think you're in for a dry read. But if you're interested in cemeteries and things having to do with death (and there are more of us out there than people realize), you will find this book fascinating and fun. Schechter has done very thorough resarch across a variety of death-related topics, from death anxiety and end-of-life experiences to strange bequests and famous last words. But it's not only the information that is great, Schechter's writing style is inviting and humorous. He takes a very serious topic and makes it approachable and respectable. Throughout the book, there are side boxes featuring recommended reading and resources, death definitions, death quizzes and fun facts. And many of then are in tombstone-shaped boxes. The only thing I'd change about the book is the mention of Epitaphs Magazine--yeah, this Epitaphs Magazine! Before I go into it, I must tell you that it's an honor to be included in "The Whole Death Catalog." Unfortunately, the information I gave Harold after his gracious request is now out-of-date. The magazine is no longer in print, is now monthly (not quarterly) and the online version is free (some print versions are available for purchase, though). We no longer offer traditional print subscriptions. I also wish www.TheCemeteryClub.com had been mentioned along with it, because the PO Box listed is no longer in use. All this being said, it's so cool to be included in this terrific book! I highly recommend that you add this book to your taphophile library. Reviewed by Minda Powers-Douglas (8/16/11) Cindy Ehrlich (editor), Michael E. Richards (photographer) San Francisco: Cypress Lawn, 1996  Read Loren Rhoads' review at
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Healing: The Essential Guide to Helping Others Overcome Grief & Loss" Alicia King Nashville: Turner Publishing, 2011 
Alicia King's book "Healing: The Essential Guide to Helping Others Overcome Grief & Loss" is just the type of book people need. When a family member, friend or co-worker losses someone they love, it's difficult to know how to act around the person, let alone help them.When a friend losses a loved one, it's natural for us to start talking about the losses we've had in our lives. But, as King points out, "it's not about you." She also addresses the mistakes people tend to make (even though they don't mean to) and a number of ways people can help the grief-stricken. Another thing about the book that hit home for me is that our society seems to think that grief is something we can deal with immediately and then put away in an old shoe box or dismiss all together. It is viewed as very generous for a company to offer employees up to five days bereavement leave; not all do. But if we expect, as a society, that people will have "grieved enough" in that small period of time, that is terribly unfair. A person's life has ended--an entire life--and getting over the loss can take a lifetime. There is no timeline to grief. I also appreciate how the book has been arranged. The chapters are brief, so that you can pick the book up and read for a little while and still get a good amount of information. She also ends each chapter with a quick summary and resources for further information. King writes with honesty and the conviction of wanting to help people through this difficult and all-too-present fact of life. Reviewed by Minda Powers-Douglas (7/24/11) Forever L.A.: A Field Guide to Los Angeles Area Cemeteries & Their Residents Douglas Keister Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2010 
Anyone who has taken any of my classes knows I'm a huge fan of Douglas Keister's books. Stories in Stone is one of my mainstay books on my shelf, in my research and in the field. Forever L.A. is a happy addition to my collection--especially since I (sadly) haven't been to see any Los Angeles cemeteries. Not only does the book cover information and history about a variety of cemeteries, it also includes information about cemetery symbolism and architecture, secret societies and even GPS coordinates for a number of gravesites. Top that off with some incredible color photos and put it all in a compact yet well-constructed paperback you can easily fit in your bag, and you've got a great book for a taphophile. Keister features such great cemeteries as Hollywood Forever, Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Glendale, Valhalla Memorial Park, and Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park. It also covers, surprisingly, the Haunted Mansion's pretend cemetery in Disneyland. If you've been to the amusement park and have gone on the ride (which is spectacular, by the way), you have probably seen the faux gravesones for the fakely departed humans and animals "buried" around the Haunted Mansion grounds. Names such as I. Truly Departed and M.T. Tomb can be found and laughed about as you wait in the clever queue. I think this addition to a book on cemeteries in the land of make-believe (and I'm talking about L.A. here) is fitting. If you are planning a trip to L.A., you will definitely want to take this book with you. Reviewed by Minda Powers-Douglas (4/23/11) Keith Eggener New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010 
Cemeteries is a very comprehensive book about the history of cemeteries that is "based on the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congress." It is part of a series of books published by W.W. Norton & Company in conjunction with Center for Architecture, Design and Engineering and the Publishing Office of the Library of Congress." The book is filled with images from the Library of Congress, and there is an online portfolio than can be accessed (for browsing or downloading) that contains all the images included.The book addresses early burial customs, beliefs about death, types of burial grounds, architecture and more. There is even a section of magazine illustrations, advertising and other images representing cemeteries and death. Author Keith Eggener, Ph.D., is an associate professor of American art and architecture at the University of Missouri. His book combines all the elements that make cemetery research fascinating. This book would definitely make a solid addition to a cemetery researcher's collection. Cemeteries is a combination coffee table book and research book. You can pick it up and leisurely scan through the historic and contemporary photos, or you can spend quality time reading the detailed information. At the hefty retail cost of $75, you may want to check it out of the library first. It is an excellent book, though. Reviewed by Minda Powers-Douglas (4/19/11) |
   
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Education Grave Symbolism Genealogy Book Reviews Blogs Southern Graves Submit a Review If you would like to submit a review to TheCemeteryClub.com, send your review (including book title, author,publisher and publication year to minda.epitaphsmag@gmail.com  |