SELF-HELP

It’s Your Funeral! Plan the Celebration of a Lifetime—Before It’s Too Late

by Kathy Benjamin
Quirk. Aug. 2021. 176p. ISBN 9781683692584. $16.99. SELF-HELP
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A light but practical guide to planning a funeral (for oneself or a loved one) by humorist Benjamin (Funerals To Die For: The Craziest, Creepiest, and Most Bizarre Funeral Traditions and Practices Ever). The book is rooted in Benjamin’s research on funereal practices throughout the ages (including eco-friendly burials, minting cremains into an object like a vinyl record, and hiring mourners to fill out a funeral service), but it’s mainly functional. Benjamin has information about the myriad options available for each component of a funeral and offers unintimidating worksheets and templates to help readers plan or pre-plan the event. This useful read contains helpful anecdotes to help readers look at the big picture of funeral planning and take care of details ahead of time.
VERDICT Benjamin’s humorous tone makes the dark subject matter more palatable; her book pairs well with Caitlin Doughty’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory. Given the popularity of the “death-positive” movement, this title is recommended for any library’s nonfiction collection, especially where “Death Cafe” programming is offered.
Reviewed by Thomas Beheler, Arlington Public Libraries, VA , Sep 01, 2021
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