The American Way of Death Revisited

The American Way of Death RevisitedOnly the scathing wit and searching intelligence of Jessica Mitford could turn an expos of the American funeral industry into a book that is at once deadly serious and side splittingly funny. When first published in 1963, this landmark of investigative journalism became a runaway bestseller and resulted in legislation to protect grieving families from the unscrupulous sales practices of those in "the dismal trade." Just before her death in 1996,

Only the scathing wit and searching intelligence of Jessica Mitford could turn an expos of the American funeral industry into a book that is at once deadly serious and side-splittingly funny. When first published in 1963, this landmark of investigative journalism became a runaway bestseller and resulted in legislation to protect grieving families from the unscrupulous sales practices of those in "the dismal trade."

Just before her death in 1996, Mitford thoroughly revised and updated her classic study. The American Way of Death Revisited confronts new trends, including the success of the profession's lobbyists in Washington, inflated cremation costs, the telemarketing of pay-in-advance graves, and the effects of monopolies in a death-care industry now dominated by multinational corporations. With its hard-nosed consumer activism and a satiric vision out of Evelyn Waugh's novel The Loved One, The American Way of Death Revisited will not fail to inform, delight, and disturb.

"Brilliant--hilarious. . . . A must-read for anyone planning to throw a funeral in their lifetime."--New York Post

"Witty and penetrating--it speaks the truth."--The Washington Post

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 01/04/2000
ISBN: 9780679771869
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.54lbs
Size: 7.98h x 5.22w x 0.69d

Review Citations: New York Times 01/30/2000 pg. 24