R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death and Dying

by Constance Jones

Did you know that American burial traditions include aerial burial, in which the body is placed in tree branches? Have you ever wondered which religions believe in afterlife or reincarnation? Ever been curious about exactly what the embalming process entails? The answers all lie in R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death & Dying by Constance Jones.

Reminding us that almost no subject in the world elicits such universal fascination as death, Jones has masterfully collected information from diverse sources to explore, illuminate, demystify and enrich our understanding of the myriad issues related to death and dying. Publishers Weekly has praised Jones' approach as "clear-sighted" and "fearlessly inquisitive" and calls R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death & Dying "invaluable and oddly uplifting."

The book is divided into two parts and is equipped with a resource list of organizations, a bibliography and an index. "Part One" explores the cultural dimensions of death and dying, with chapters and sections on myths and legends explaining death, cultural traditions, the scientific study of death, demographic statistics, funerary customs, religious beliefs and historical anecdotes. Jones provides wide-ranging, informative, and occasionally humorous material that is thoughtfully and clearly organized.

Topics covered include descriptions of the physiological changes at the moment of death, a history of cremation, and summaries of legal and ethical issues associated with death, such as capital punishment, euthanasia and suicide.

Genres: Death, Nonfiction, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 1997

Reviews

[Metagion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything you need regarding death & dying: things like Living Wills, selecting a funeral home, the five stages of grief, everything. Told in a matter-of-fact way, it goes through how death is perceived in various cultures, death rates in countries around the world, statistics on the causes of death within a certain period of time and why, along with the controversy surrounding euthinasia, hospice care, etc. Well worth your time (and invaluable to those that are curious about the "Final Curtain".

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great: easy to read. I loved it. It has everything.

[Jennifer Myers]

This book is a little dated for 2017 (it talks ALOT about the AIDS crisis) but I definitely learned many cultural and spiritual things about death and have a better idea about how to prepare when it happens to a family member or me. My body's going to science!