On Death and Dying: There's Nothing Wrong with Being Compost

On Death and Dying by Paul Beyerl is a marvelous book for many reasons. First and foremost its encyclopedic knowledge of the history of death and burial from early times is not only fascinating but also curiously comforting. The record of how the dead have been cared for says something optimistic about humanity and its evolution. There are many burial customs that I knew nothing of and enjoyed learning about.There is useful knowledge here concerning modern customs, as one need not pay for a traditional expensive funeral or the services of those involved. As the book tells us this is all a relatively recent development. At one time people took care of their own dead and there was a greater sense of involvement by the family as well. Between its covers there are many quoted sources and the long list of references would be of significant help to anyone needing to do research on the subject. The book begins with some personal history of the author, continues with definitions of death and includes mythology associated with it as well.

I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for this book launch and I have to say that the ease with which Rev. Paul presents his life's work is easily transferable from the spoken word to the page and vice versa; it's as much a joy to read as it was to listen to. As a culmination of his life's work the amount of detailed information on funerary rites and customs in this book is beyond compare. Rev. Paul's own personal brand of humor on the subject adds a wonderful element of lightheartedness to what might otherwise be dry material. It is anything but that.This book is a must read for anyone dealing with end of life care and funerary rites as it helps to put things into perspective.

This is not a gloomy book. Writing in a conversational style, the author offers as many personal anecdotes about living as about dying.He reviews some of the history of death and funeral practices including the rise of the American funeral industry. For those who are not well served by conventional practices, he shares some of the poetry from "The Ritual for the Dead of Lothlorien". This is a good book for people of any faith who are not afraid to grow up to become the adults of this world.