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From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by [Caitlin Doughty, Landis Blair]

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Caitlin Doughty

Landis Blair

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death Kindle Edition

by Caitlin Doughty (Author), Landis Blair (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.8 5,219 ratings

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A New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller

“Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” —Jill Lepore, The New Yorker

Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty embarks on a global expedition to discover how other cultures care for the dead. From Zoroastrian sky burials to wish-granting Bolivian skulls, she investigates the world’s funerary customs and expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with dignity. Her account questions the rituals of the American funeral industry—especially chemical embalming—and suggests that the most effective traditions are those that allow mourners to personally attend to the body of the deceased. Exquisitely illustrated by artist Landis Blair, From Here to Eternity is an adventure into the morbid unknown, a fascinating tour through the unique ways people everywhere confront mortality.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

October 3, 2017
File size

53623 KB
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From the Publisher

Praise for Caitlin Doughty's 'From Here to Eternity'

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Doughty is a relentlessly curious and chipper tour guide to the underworld, and the weirder things get, the happier she seems. … [H]er dispatches from the dark side [are] doing us all a kindness―offering a picture of what we’re in for, even if we’d rather not know."
― Libby Copeland, New York Times Book Review

"Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief."
― Jill Lepore, The New Yorker

"Doughty writes bluntly about open-air cremations, natural burials and body composting, bringing a little more clarity and a little less mystery to the question: 'What happens to us after we die?'"
― NPR (Our Guide to 2017's Great Reads)

"[T]he macabre travelogue is a thoughtful reflection and a smart critique of the American funeral industry, with plenty of gallows humor thrown in."
― Smithsonian (The Ten Best Travel Books of 2017)

"Doughty finds the humanity in others cultures' relationship with death that seems to be lacking in ours."
― Justin Caffier, Vice

"This slim volume, full of captivating, enlightening, and humorous tidbits, is a―dare I say―uplifting exploration of what people the world over do to withstand loss and the bite of impermanence. This is death as viewed by a mortician: profound, unavoidable, natural, and a bit funny."
― KQED

"This humane book gently provokes you to wonder: what exactly is your ideal funeral?"
― The Times

"From Here To Eternity is fascinating, thought-provoking and – who would have guessed? – sometimes funny. Put it on your bucket list."
― The Mail

"Caitlin Doughty is razor sharp, and writes about death with exceptional clarity and style. From Here to Eternity manages to be both an extremely funny travelogue and a deeply moving book about what death means to us all."
― Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura

"[Doughty’s] fascinating tour of rituals contains liturgies that readers will surely observe as rare, macabre, unbelievable, ancient, and precious―sometimes simultaneously."
― Kirkus

"She is the ideal guide on this journey, curious and respectful...Recommended for fans of the author and those with an interest in anthropology and ritual."
― Library Journal

"A thought-provoking book about the complicated, fascinating world of funerary practices. Unless you and your friends are immortal, this book pertains to you."
― A. J. Jacobs

"In her jocular but reverential tone… Doughty doesn’t offer a simple morbid travelogue; instead, she digs into diverse death experiences with deep veneration and examines ties to socioeconomic, status, female identity, and religion."
― Booklist --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Caitlin Doughty is a mortician and the New York Times best-selling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From Here to Eternity, and Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? She is the creator of the web series Ask a Mortician, and the founder of The Order of the Good Death. She lives in Los Angeles, California, where she owns a funeral home.

Landis Blair illustrated the prize-winning graphic novel The Hunting Accident and the New York Times bestseller From Here to Eternity, and has published illustrations in the New York Times, Chicago magazine, and Medium. He lives in Chicago, Illinois. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XGH21J5
Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (October 3, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 3, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 53623 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #51,250 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #9 in Sociology of Death (Kindle Store)
- #18 in Travel Writing
- #82 in Travel (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 5,219 ratings

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Caitlin Doughty
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Caitlin Doughty is a writer and death acceptance advocate. She started working in the funeral industry as a crematory operator at age 23, a job described in her first book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Since then she founded the nonprofit Order of the Good Death, started the Ask a Mortician Youtube series, and introduced the movement of death awareness and death positivity in the Western world. She owns a family-centered funeral home in Southern California. Her other New York Times bestsellers are From Here to Eternity and Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?
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Landis Blair
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Landis Blair is the author and illustrator of The Envious Siblings: and Other Morbid Nursery Rhymes, as well as the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller From Here to Eternity and the graphic novel The Hunting Accident, which won the 2021 Fauve d’Or and the 2020 Quai des Bulles prize. His illustrations have appeared in numerous print and online periodicals including The New Yorker, the New York Times, Chicago magazine, VQR, and Medium. He lives in Chicago. Photo by Andi Linden.
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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

5,219 global ratings

5 star		84%
4 star		12%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
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Ariel B.

Wonderful Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 6, 2023

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A wonderful, chuckle-worthy, deep, eye-opening read from a thoughtful and caring author. I've long enjoyed watching Doughty's videos on YouTube, I appreciate the humor and kindness she brings to a sensitive topic, and it continues to ring true in her writing. This book had been on my list for a while and thankfully it was a requirement for my Psychology of Death and Dying class. It is very informative, shares fascinating and captivating stories, and everyone should give it a read.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 3, 2023

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I enjoyed this a lot. I’ve been fascinated by death for a long time and it’s always been a rather taboo topic. This brings it into the open that we will all die and we will all grieve. Now we just have to work on how to do both well.

4 people found this helpful

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Samantha K.

Great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 14, 2023

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Purchased for school. Every chapter is a wonderful experience that you get to share with the author. Highly recommend!

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Beginning the Encyclopedia of Death Positivity

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 23, 2021

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"No matter what it takes, the hard work begins for the West to haul our fear, shame, and grief surrounding death out into the disinfecting light of the sun."

I was first introduced to the singular energy of Caitlin Doughty via her Youtube channel, Ask a Mortician, as I'm sure many others have as well. To say that Caitlin (and by extension The Order of the Good Death) has changed my life would not quite do her work justice. She changed my life by changing my death, and the way I view it.

Long before Caitlin, I knew that embalming/ burial was just not for me. I always thought cremation was my only other option, and so I settled my mind to it. But just as the book sets out to explain (and in my personal experience, accomplishes), the Western views and in fact culture surrounding death is not only limited, but capitalistic and toxic in its roots. Learning from Caitlin's videos, this book, and The Order, I know with certainty what my death plan is (still leaving room for some improvisation, of course). My sister, who is also a fan, has begun contemplating hers, and together we have began the conversation. We are hoping to soon begin (slowly and unthreateningly) opening the doors of communication with our family members.

Getting back to the subject of the book, I can only speak from the perspective of someone already in agreement wanting to learn more. And I was happy for the education. Learning about other cultures and their relationship with Death and the dead, it brings a sliver of light. That light, unfortunately, also makes the flaws of our own death culture, but hopefully the days to come bring change.

The stories and experiences told through Caitlin's perspective are as ever-charming as she, and I can easily picture her in each situation. These are not unbiased experiences, of course, but is a bias towards a peaceful and dignified relationship with Death a bad thing, honestly? As someone who wants a natural burial and a "green" death, I was thrilled to learn about more options fighting for their rightful place in society. I now know of organizations to fight for, and perhaps donate my body to. The talented illustrations were equal parts entertaining and educational.

If you are reaching for this book out of curiosity (morbid or otherwise), then welcome. I hope you learn something new. I hope it makes you think, perhaps rethink. I hope you can feel Caitlin's passion and drive within the words and pages. Perhaps give a look at her channel and/or her website. Happy reading, fellow and future Deathlings!

4 people found this helpful

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Michelle Siedenburg

Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 1, 2023

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Easy read. Interesting delve into cultural death traditions.

One person found this helpful

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John

Fantastic and Honest Book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 13, 2023

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I have always loved the YouTube channel "Ask A Mortician" and was so happy to find out this book was written. As someone who hopes to have a traditional Hindu funeral with outdoor pyre, I cannot thank the author enough for all she does to create awareness and education on the subject of death, the death industry and the legalities of certain practices. Thank you for all you do! We love your work and are so glad you do it!

One person found this helpful

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Carrie Chrisman

Fabulous book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2022

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Interesting informative and gives you a completely different way to view death and the dying. I highly recommend all her books and I am not much into books but hers just have a perfect amount of classy respectful humor within a very well written accounts of her experience working in the death industry through her books I have found death to not be as fearful as it was before learning the depth she bring to life and death. It’s now something I have come to accept as part of life and is all our fate and knowing that I don’t truly fear it as much as fear grief over losing my parents but I will handle it much better after reading her wonderful books and following her on social media

One person found this helpful

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Tessara Dudley

A beautiful and poignant examination of death traditions from around the world

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 5, 2022

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Caitlin Roughly takes us on a journey around the world, allowing us to sit (and walk and speak and celebrate) with ordinary people engaging with death. We see cultures where families care for mummified bodies, and ones where people seek favors from the skulls of strangers. No matter how we come to death, and what we do with it, Caitlin shows us compassion and understanding. This book is a treasure, a gift, because it lets us confront our own death avoidance and extends our death acceptance. This book reminds us that one day everyone we have ever lived will be dead, that one day we ourselves will be dead. That is how it has always been and how it will always be, and all that is left to us is to decide how we will approach these deaths, when they come. We can, this book reminds us, choose comfort and acceptance, and thereby find a kind of beauty or even a kind of peace within the confrontation with death.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

J. Proctor

Another Excellent Death Positive Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 15, 2018

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Having read Caitlin's last book "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", I eagerly anticipated "From Here To Eternity" when I learned that she was in the process of writing it.

And I honestly can't recommend it highly enough.

Reading about the death practices of other countries might not be everybody's cup of tea, but "From Here To Eternity" is written in such a way that you can't help but like it. I read every part of it, including the references, which I don't always do, but I could hardly put this down, I was so fascinated by it.

We have a strange relationship with death, for the main, in England. However, if more people were to read books like this one (I can't say that there is an over-abundance of them because I just don't know) I think there would probably be a shift in how we look at the physical aspect of death and dying as a biological process (because it is, after all, just another biological process), how we treat people when and after they die and actually what we *do* with the dead. After all, these people were once a part of us, as we are of them and they deserve our respect, even after they are gone. Not our fear. Not our desire to make their bodies last for ever by embalming them either.

Did you know that in Japan they have a 95% cremation rate? I learned that from this book. Also, the Diás de los Muertos carnival didn't inspire the one in the Bond film? It was the other way round!

There is a whole wealth of death cultures in the world that we in the main don't even know about (I think this is largely probably to do with the fear of death that so many people in the West have, but we can't avoid it can we?) and reading this book opens our eyes a little.

If you haven't read "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" either, buy them both. Read them on the bounce. Expand your mind a little and let's all become more death positive.

I already know what I would like to happen to my mortal remains after I die - and this doesn't include pumping them full of formaldehyde!

Do you?

24 people found this helpful

Rita Bonita

Brilliant read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 17, 2019

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After reading Doughty's previous title (and being subscribed to her YouTube channel for years) I was immediately interested in reading her other work. I wasn't disappointed!

One of the most impressive things about her writing to me is her ability to be serious without losing the light-heartedness or humour. This is a great thing for somebody who may be death anxious as it eases them into reading such morbid topics without sacrificing any facts or her opinions.
I have recommended the previous title to a friend who is death-phobic and he said he found it very comforting to read as it wasn't all doom and gloom

I would recommend to anyone, wether they be into the macbre or even people who are scared to death (see what I did there?) about the subject. I look forward to any future titles!

8 people found this helpful

Holly

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 18, 2019

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I love Katlin and I follow all her videos on Youtube.
I love her down to earth and qwirky sence of humor that also shows through in her writing.

I bought this quite late as I find her books hard to get hold of in the UK!
I found this very interesting on how all the cultures have burials. I too would love a sky burial but alas this would never be.

I drove past a 'memorial forest' sign the other day in the UK so there is hope that these ways of burial will someday break through the formaldehyde musty practices

3 people found this helpful

Anne

Definitely worth reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 1, 2018

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I can't express how much I love this book. I'm a district nurse in the UK so I've seen my fair share of death and dying. I read this book in 2 days and it's making its way around my colleagues now. Thanks Caitlin, this book is brilliant and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to read it!

8 people found this helpful

Jennifer

Fantastic read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 2, 2018

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Fantastic book! I have been a follower of Caitlin's YouTube channel for a while, so I had an idea of what to expect. I was not disappointed, the book is fascinating, educating, respectful, openminded, encouraging and thought-provoking. Her writing style is just the right amount of informal and chatty for me. I studied anthropology and always had an interest in rites and views on mortality and the like. I would say this book is the informal counterpart of some of my required uni reads (and therefore so much more fun...). Highly recommend!

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