From Here to Eternity

In the United States, burial and cremation at the hands of professionals seem like the only options for a body after death. Mortician and author Caitlin Doughty (Ask a Mortician, Smoke Gets in Your Eye) has returned to explore death culture around the world. From Indonesia where bodies are treated and cared for as if they are still alive and merely awaiting transition, to Spain where death is a family affair even when the family is divided from the body by glass. The new book, From Here to Eternity, is a first-hand account of death culture around with the assistance of famous folks from The Order of the Good Death.

From Here to Eternity is a fantastic book that does not shy away from moments of humor and humility. There are moments where a pig must be acquired for sacrifice, where Doughty accidentally finds herself on Instagram accounts in other countries or occasionally in someone's family photo. Doughty helps the reader comprehend the difficulties of facing death, as well as the importance of not being afraid of it, nor letting the funeral industry take away the power of families.

Caitlin Doughty's From Here to Eternity is a delight and was a great comfort when confronting the mortality of a recently deceased family member. We might not be able to stop death from coming, but we can learn to not be as afraid.

I have been a fan of Caitlin Doughty since the early days of Ask a Mortician. She is an exceedingly knowledgeable and vivacious person. She takes a subject which we see as very dark, inappropriate, even taboo and returns it to a fact of existence. Something we need to face head on: "And remember, you will die."

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" was Caitlin's journey to her, shall we say, death activism? While "From Here to Eternity" shows that other cultures are light years ahead of where the west could be in terms of their dead. It also explores how she as a mortician, and a socialized Westerner deals with death customs we might deem weird or unnatural. There is an excitement to her writing that is infectious, unlike corpses which will not hurt you. Her enthusiasm for her subject, and her overall joy for learning more about the worldly death community is refreshing. She doesn't sugarcoat what's happening, she takes us in depth to situations which would unnerve us and explains that it is all just different. Different doesn't mean bad, it just means it is something we aren't used to.

There is a lot to be learned from Ms. Doughty and I hope she continues on her knowledge sharing path. Your Deathlings love you, and thank you for existing.

Phenomenal and interesting take on a subject that no matter how much we Americans try to avoid it, we can never escape it: Death. Doughty's tone is empathic and emotionally raw as she takes readers on a journey to explore modern culture surrounding death and offers unique insight.

In From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, mortician, YouTube vlogger, and death-positive advocate Caitlin Doughty brings us face-to-face with different death customs and rituals from around the world and shows us not to be afraid of the inevitable. Full of interesting anecdotes, just the right amount of humor, and an obvious passion for her work, Doughty brings us along to share in her experiences. From the ma'nene celebrations of Indonesia to natural no-frills green burials, Americans and others accustomed to the "traditional" Western funeral can learn a lot about others and themselves by how they care for their dead.

Caitlin Doughty has done it again! Smoke Gets in Your Eyes has been one of my favorite handsells for the last two years because EVERYONE is curious about death especially in a culture in which we are so pushed away from it and pushed closer to sense of eternal youth and immortality. Both funny and humbling, rom Here to Eternity allows a glimpse into a variety of death rituals and ways of interacting with both death and the dead. Like Caitlin, I have always wanted a sky burial, but now I'm pretty set on my body becoming compost somewhere. A necessary book for helping us look at death and grief and hold it close to the heart while also turning the process into something more kind to the earth. Self-awareness and environmentally friendly!? Yes please!

I really enjoyed Doughty's first book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, about her experience with the American death industry. This book builds on that with a global perspective, describing death cultures in several specific communities around the world. Just as fascinating as the first.