Exploring Mortality Through Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: Reflections from the Crematory

lauren bruce: As a nurse dealing with grief, illness and death i found this book refreshing.
Death has become a taboo subject in our society, something which people tread around uncomfortably, mumbling awkard sympathies. Yet death comes to all us.

This book advocates for a good death and more openess around dying. Its humorous, well written and reflective of much of western society.

I really recommend

United Kingdom on Jan 05, 2024

George Stanton: Caitlin’s sense of humor is to die for! She writes with candor, literary knowledge and reader fascination consistently in mind and it’s well worth a place on your shelf!

United States on Jan 04, 2024

Amy M: This book was just awesome! I learned so much about the death industry! I am not getting embalmed! The writing style is fun and kept my attention. Thanks for the education.

United States on Dec 31, 2023

Jen B.: Never have I found such a satisfying read that both entertained and educated simultaneously throughout its entirety. I LOVED THIS BOOK. Doughty addresses a major societal/cultural issue from a fresh perspective that will truly broaden your horizons and make you reconsider life - or more importantly, death - plans. The purpose of the book being "to ensure that more people are not robbed of a dignified death by a culture of silence."

I feel as though I've had the same thoughts about death that were presented in the book as I'm certain most everyone has. I've had thoughts about how I will meet my end, what will become of my body, the hypothetical situations where someone you wouldn't want to have see you in that state is front and center; witnessing the worst. But I feel like we never go beyond those thoughts. We don't research the answers. We don't possess realistic expectations.

Doughty turned those thoughts into an obsession of sorts. She was pained by the fact that the United States in particular chooses time and time again to avoid acceptance of the realities of death all together. We have been conditioned during our upbringing by society and surroundings to not...

United States on Jan 19, 2021

SPlannerer: This book will give you whiplash with realizations about death, the death industry, and yourself.

Besides giving insight in how a body is handled after death, you *will* be forced out of your comfort zone in the best ways possible. Caitlin Doughty manages to do this by re-telling and reflecting on her own experiences while working at a crematory in the most respectfully humorous ways possible.

An absolute recommendation!

P.S.: She also has an amazing YouTube channel (Ask A Mortician), and I recommend checking that out, too. You are guaranteed to fall down a rabbit hole.

Germany on Nov 08, 2020

Laura: Na het lezen van 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' voel je je een ware expert op het gebied van de wereld de begravenisondernemingen. Niet alleen neemt Caitlin Doughty de lezer mee in opmerkelijke verhalen over bijv. het Tri-State Cremetory scandal maar ook word dieper ingegaan op verschillende nieuwe en duurzame manieren van uitvaart. Het boek is extreem laagdrempelig geschreven en weet een zwaar onderwerp op een luchtige manier te brengen. Al met al is het een verhelderend en verrassend boek waarvan ik hem aan iedereen kan aanraden.

Netherlands on Oct 12, 2020

Inna: Libro scritto molto bene, con toni umoristici, ma anche con momenti più seri che forniscono un ottimo spunto di riflessione. Sicuramente acquisterò anche gli altri libri dell'autrice.

Italy on Sep 22, 2020

Alan Rodriguez Gonzalez: Este libro es excelente. El mensaje que manda es uno que debe ser oído por todo individuo del mundo moderno. No se puede negar la importancia que la muerte tiene en la psique humana, y aún así los medios de comunicación hacen todo lo posible por darle a la muerte la apariencia de tabú, de algo malo, en lo que debe evitarse pensar.
La autora nos lleva en un viaje de reflexión, acompañado con numerosas anécdotas, sobre el destino que nos aguarda a todos. Gran libro.

Mexico on Dec 13, 2019

C. M. Stahl: Plaudits always go to a writer who is able to get a book like this published while in her twenties. It seems that most writers with that youth are either publishing with obscure printers, self-publishing or waiting to finish their memoir. Memoirs written by someone so youthful are suspect simply by the currency of their experiences.

However Ms Doughty has acquitted herself quite nicely in this venture, one this reviewer is very interested in-about how do we want to leave this world and what it means to our loved ones. She describes the death care ritual and industry well and alludes to many alternatives. A review digression is appropriate at this point.

As an aging blogger who has spent his life as if there were no future, I happened to read Mary Roach’s book Stiffs and was inspired to make all of my end of life plans. They included what I imagined best for the environment and cheapest for my daughters who would have to bear the brunt of their old man’s demise. I won’t have much to leave them financially and so want to minimize costs at getting rid of what I leave. So I elected to donate my body to science and if Doughty is correct, there will be no cost to my...

United States on Mar 15, 2016