Corpses, coffins, and crypts : a history of burial / Penny Colman.

New York : Henry Holt, [1997]

vii, 212 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

First edition.

About the author: Penny Colman is the author of many award-winning books, among them, Toilets, Bathtubs, Sinks and Sewers: A History of the Bathroom, a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, and Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Homefront in WWII, an American Library Association Notable Book, a School Library Journal Best Book for Young Adults, and the winner of the Orbis Pictus Honor Award. A popular guest speaker, Penny Colman lives in Englewood, New Jersey.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 196-201) and index.

1. Dead is dead : defining death -- 2. Death is destiny : understanding death -- 3. What happens to corpses : decomposition, transplants, autopsies, and embalming -- 4. Bones and ashes : cremation and other ways to dispose of corpses -- 5. How to contain the remains : urns, coffins, crypts, and mausoleums -- 6. Where corpses end up : cemeteries and other burial sites -- 7. Rituals for people who have died : burial customs, ceremonies, and celebrations -- 8. Death is everywhere : images in the arts and everyday life.