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A review by grogu_djarin
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty
dark
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Overall Thoughts:
I read this as part of a class on the psychology of death. I think it was a really effective book that made me think a lot. It really surprised me all the different ways that people celebrate their dead and there was a very broad sampling of death cultures from around the world ranging for traditional to hyper-modern. Some of these traditions seem bizarre and unnerving and would even be considered disrespectful to the dead from a Western perspective, but then you read about all the love and attention that people put into these customs for the deceased and it makes you wonder if a sealed off burial vault or cremation shows as much respect for the dead or if we're just trying to sanitize the experience of losing a loved one. This is by no means a comprehensive list of death customs from around the world, but the ones that we're presented with really do cover a wide range and there is a bit of everything in it.
I read this as part of a class on the psychology of death. I think it was a really effective book that made me think a lot. It really surprised me all the different ways that people celebrate their dead and there was a very broad sampling of death cultures from around the world ranging for traditional to hyper-modern. Some of these traditions seem bizarre and unnerving and would even be considered disrespectful to the dead from a Western perspective, but then you read about all the love and attention that people put into these customs for the deceased and it makes you wonder if a sealed off burial vault or cremation shows as much respect for the dead or if we're just trying to sanitize the experience of losing a loved one. This is by no means a comprehensive list of death customs from around the world, but the ones that we're presented with really do cover a wide range and there is a bit of everything in it.
Likes:
- I liked the range of stories and cultures that are explored. The book ranges from traditional (Indonesia, Bolivia) to hyper-modern (North Carolina, Japan) and a whole range in between.
- This book really makes you think. Some of the death customs seem extremely bizarre or even disrespectful to my American perspective, but the book challenges you on that because those same people would also think that burying your dead in a sealed off vault or cremating them would be equally bizarre and disrespectful.
- There is a lot of insight into the US death industry and just how much it has lobbied to keep things certain ways.
Dislikes:
- The tone takes some getting used to. If you've seen any of Caitlin Doughty's "Ask a Mortician" YouTube videos you'll notice it's the same tone full of jokes and pop culture references. While it works for the videos because you can hear her intonation, I feel in written form many of the stories read like a macabre blog post more than anything.
Other Notes:
- NA
Would Recommend To:
- I'd recommend this to most people. I think everyone has difficulty talking or thinking about death and this book helps contextualize it with perspectives across the world.
Do Not Recommend To:
- People with a faint stomach. Some of the stories are quite uncomfortable to a Western perspective but still valuable to read about nonetheless.