From Here To Eternity: Traveling The World To Find The Good Death
by Caitlin Doughty Book Review by Miranda Fraser (Moses) ISBN: 978039324897 I'm back with the non-fiction reviews, a far cry from my love of Mythology and Werewolves. But I am a huge fan of Caitlin Doughty's youtube channel, Ask A Mortician. which I will include a link to below with her other sites. She is a mortician, the owner of a non-profit funeral home, and the founder of 'The Order of the Good Death'. And I have to say I am extremely impressed with her work and the way she goes about educating people on the ins and outs of death. That is not to say that I agree with everything she says, but a good majority of it. Her views may be shocking to some, but she will present you with both sides of the argument, a lot of passion, AND historical facts. I think it's important for us to grow as humans and a society to be willing to hear what other's opinions are. In the end you can still disagree but growth cannot happen without open communication. With that being said, let's jump into what "From Here To Eternity: Traveling The World To Find The Good Death" is all about. Caitlin, as I said, is the founder of "The Order of the Good Death". This organization is all about helping people accept their fears surrounding death (after all it is the one thing we are all certain to face one day), while also understanding that the beliefs we have as culture as skewed. In her latest book she recounts her travels around the world to see how other cultures handle their dead. From India to Bolivia and Japan to America, everywhere you look there are different beliefs on how to handle the dead. Not just the bodies themselves but the memorial of who the body belonged to. She stresses the important of both. It should also be mentioned, if you didn't know by now, that Caitlin is a strong believer in a green death. Her first book is all about working in a crematory, and as she says, the industrial power and waste that lets off, is far from safe for our environment. Neither are the embalming fluids we place in the ground, and many other things that Caitlin can far greater educate you on then I can. I want you to know that because many of the rituals she encounters are all about the returning of man to the earth. Equally important to note here is that respecting the cultures is so important. She travels the world and watches so many unique and ancient methods of dealing with death. Beliefs that in America people might say are barbaric. But to those cultures it is seen as proper tradition. I truly felt while reading this that Caitlin expresses a beautiful understanding and respect of a world very different from ours. It is empowering to hear the way she speaks of them. And makes it even easier to listen to what she has to share or teach you about. I have no use for 'educators' who are careless and mean spirited. I want to learn with an open mind. Just from her descriptions of festivals and graves she has seen, my mind was vividly painting pictures and longing to see it myself. Not just because of a morbid fascination with death, but because they sound so beautiful and spiritual. Maybe not in the way other's might consider spirituality, but I, as a christian woman, am telling you that I fully support the Dias De Los Muertos in Mexico, that I am in awe of the Crestone cremation pyre, and even fascinated by the Natitas of Bolivia. The chapter about Bolivia, interestingly enough, was a hit and miss chapter for me. While I understood where Caitlin and her acquaintance where coming from feeling that the mixing of magical beliefs and Christianity was off, I have my own thoughts on that topic. Personally, I feel that as a human being if I am going to believe in "a man in the clouds" and all we believe he has created, it is ignorant to not even consider that other forms of 'magic' might exist in this world. Getting back on track though, From Here To Eternity really helps bring perspective to the world. I know that her book is sold around the world, and so perhaps other countries have learned about what our funeral industry now looks like. But I have to say that as a Western Culture we have created this phobia and this money grab around death and grief. And above all that Caitlin has done, she has fought to bring it to our attention. She shows us what we currently do, what we as a world used to do, what other cultures do to honor their deceased. And makes us realize what we could have as a culture, how we could handle death and what we can do to prepare for our own. Every time I watch her videos I try and imagine what I want for my final rites. And I'm still not sure, but the lack of options is infuriating. In conclusion if you're someone who loves to learn about other cultures, obscure facts, and even the sad reality that surrounds us, then this is your book. If you're morbidly fascinated with death, corpses, decay, and all that jazz, then this is also your book. She is perfect at discussing topics with just the right amount of wit/humor and respect. Her videos show that 100% and she covers all kinds of fascinating death related topics and stories so really look her up. You wont be disappointed! And as I mentioned this is her second book, which oddly enough, alot of people said they loved her original, almost more than this one. I've heard she's written this one in more of research-paper style while the other one was more quirky and Caitlin like. I chose to read this one first because she was in the middle of getting it published when I started watching her on youtube and I figured it would better relate to what I already loved about her. I will review the original one at a later time, but be sure to let me know what you thought of this one if you get it. Read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2020
|