Helpful Score: 2
Fascinating, well-written history of American funeral customs and the funeral industry. Certain chapters are not for the squeamish, but it's not overly morbid adn you can skip the graphic details. Mitford basically argues that the modern American funeral and all its trappings are a relatively recent development largely brought about by the funeral industry itself. Makes a nice companion (albeit from a different perspective) to the show Six Feet Under. Or, if you liked Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One, you might enjoy this as a non-fiction alternative. Hard to read if you've recently lost a loved one though.
