History, Sociology & Anthropology

Funeral Industry

Facing Your Mortality

The Denial of Death – Ernest Becker Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life’s work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker’s brilliant and impassioned answer to the “why” of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie — man’s refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing. The Worm at the Core – Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszcynski A transformative, fascinating theory—based on robust and groundbreaking experimental research—reveals how our unconscious fear of death powers almost everything we do, shining a light on the hidden motives that drive human behavior. Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death – Irvin D. Yalom Staring at the Sun is a profoundly encouraging approach to the universal issue of mortality. With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial – Kathryn Mannix With insightful meditations on life, death, and the space between them, With the End in Mind describes the possibility of meeting death gently, with forethought and preparation, and shows the unexpected beauty, dignity, and profound humanity of life coming to an end.

Science and Medicine

General Death

Grief and Memoir

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir – Roz Chast In her first memoir, New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast brings her signature wit to the topic of aging parents. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, and a narrative as rife with laughs as it is with tears, Chast’s memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents. Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality – Sarah McBride Informative, heartbreaking, and profoundly empowering, Tomorrow Will Be Different is McBride’s story of love and loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community’s battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender. Lead Me Home: An African American’s Guide Through the Grief Journey -Carleen Brice When a loved one dies, we embark on a journey that is marked by anguish, confusion, fear, and loneliness. For African Americans, the grief journeys often includes more complicated and painful emotions. Here are practical tips for making difficult passage, as well as spiritual inspiration. When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir. Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin – Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin Trayvon Martin’s parents take readers beyond the news cycle with an account only they could give: the intimate story of a tragically foreshortened life and the rise of a movement. It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand – Megan Devine Devine reveals a path for navigating grief and loss not by trying to escape it, but by learning to live inside of it with more grace and strength. Through stories, research, life tips, and mindfulness-based practices, she offers a unique guide through an experience we all must face. Here she debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with the skills and tools to help us experience and witness the pain of loss in ourselves and others—so we may meet our grief knowing it to be a natural step in the greater journey of love. The Light of the World – Elizabeth Alexander Alexander here faces the unfaceable topic of loss — and almost convinces us – and herself – that despite her terrible grief, she is grateful for the life and love that preceded it.

Picture Books for Children

Peach and Blue – Sarah Kilbourne Learning how to make the most out of our time together is at the heart of this beautifully illustrated book. The Funeral – Matt James This story will guide young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who have gone before us. Where Do They Go? – Julia Alvarez A beautifully crafted poem for children that gently addresses the emotional side of death The Heart and the Bottle – Oliver Jeffers What happens when that special someone who encourages wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up . . . or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play. The Dead Bird – Margaret Wise Brown One day, the children find a bird lying on its side with its eyes closed and no heartbeat. They are very sorry, so they decide to say good-bye. In the park, they dig a hole for the bird and cover it with warm sweet-ferns and flowers. Finally, they sing sweet songs to send the little bird on its way. Saying Goodbye to Lulu – Corinne Demas Lulu is the best dog a girl could ever hope for, but when she grows older and gradually becomes weak, the little girl must face the sad possibility of losing her dear friend, and inevitably, cope with the death of her canine companion. Rosita y Conchita – Erich Haeger and Eric Gonzalez Help Conchita celebrate the life of her dealy departed sister as she sets up a memorial altar for her on Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). Duck, Death and the Tulip – Wolf Erlbruch Simple, unusual, warm and witty, this book deals with a difficult subject in a way that is elegant, straightforward, and thought-provoking. Cry, Heart, But Never Break – Glenn Ringtved Aware their grandmother is gravely ill, four siblings make a pact to keep death from taking her away. But Death does arrive all the same, as it must. He comes gently, naturally. And he comes with enough time to share a story with the children that helps them to realize the value of loss to life and the importance of being able to say goodbye. The Bug Cemetery – Frances Hill It doesn’t take much to start a bug cemetery-a dead ladybug or inchworm, a pitcher of lemonade, and a few tears for a show of proper respect. But when a beloved pet suddenly dies, funerals are no longer any fun. A bug is one thing, but how do you mourn a special friend?

Young Adult Fiction

The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter – Erika L. Sanchez Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. A tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed. Ghosts (graphic novel) – Raina Telgemeier As Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), approaches, Catrina must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister, who has cystic fibrosis, sake — and her own. Esperanza Rising – Pam Muñoz Ryan Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But then her father’s sudden death forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. The Red Pencil – Andrea Davis Pinkney After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind — and all kinds of possibilities. History is All You Left Me – Adam Silvera When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Santa Evita – Tomas Eloy Martinez Part fact, part fiction this book examines Eva Peron’s death and the role legacy and the influence of politics played in relation to her corpse.

Photography

Books by Founding Order of the Good Death Members