Living with the Dead: How We Care for the Deceased

Spanning geographies, cultures, and the ages, a moving journey into the physical facts and metaphysical mysteries of how the living care for the dead.

Death is universal. It will meet us all. But it’s also a practical problem–what do we do with dead bodies? Vibeke Maria and Andreas Viestad live by a cemetery and are daily spectators of its routines, and their fascination with burials has led them to dig deep to examine our relationship with the dead. Taking us on a journey around the world and into the past, the Viestads explore how the deceased are honored and cared for, cremated, and buried. From archaeological sites in Spain, Israel, and Russia to environmentally friendly burials in the United States and Ghana’s fantasy coffins, and from cremations without fire to the new industry turning our dearly departed’s ashes into diamonds, this empathetic and enthralling book is for anyone who knows their turn is coming, but who’d like a good book for the journey.