Death, American Style: A Cultural History of Dying in America

The notion of one day disappearing from the earth forever is contrary to many of America’s defining cultural values, with death and dying viewed as “un-American” experiences. Arguing that death and dying may be our last major taboo, this book shows how death and dying became almost unmentionable words over the course of the last century. Although we have recently made some progress in reconciling the fact that life is a finite resource, we remain very unprepared for the approaching tsunami ...