Few industries have been as bombarded with suspicion, challenge
and change as has been the funeral industry. We have witnessed it
stretch from the down home funeral director who was a neighbor and
friend (there are still many of these folks still available) to
high-tech, large volume conglomerates that may well be providing good
service, but easily raise questions about their commitment to the
people of the community, adaptability to client needs and their
appreciation for the importance of bereavement aftercare.

Canine's book offers a welcomed integrity, the blending of
contemporary issues with timeless values, a personal glimpse of the
funeral director who comes with integrity and values the needs of the
customer, but also is willing to raise some of the tough questions
that can easily be 'buried" in the name of profit motive, bottom lines
and competition.

In the Preface we are introduced to funeralization, the system
that is well in place as we, or someone we love, experiences the
transition from this life to the next and the end of life choices a
person must make. We are reminded that, despite the pressures of the
instant oriented boomer generation, the funeral still serves as the
collection of rituals, stories, experiences, feelings and memories
that understanding and meaning to "the American way of death" and how
we experience dying, death and bereavement. We are reminded of death's
universal and equalizing role. "Death is an imminent
possibility for all people at all times. It reduces us to
nothingness." (p. 3). From the nothingness of death to the
somethingness of life, death and whatever is eternal for us, we
explore the issues and needs of individuals, the ethical dimensions
and challenges that confront us and the industries and
services that accommodate us, and what all of this means for and from
the funeral industry.

"Funeral Directors: They Are Not Descendants of The Addams
Family!' is a very redemptive chapter. Yes, there are many in the
funeral industry who deserve examination, scrutinization and
criticism. We need standards by which to evaluate these ndividuals
and organizations, and to protect the rights and vulnerabilities of
the public, but this chapter reminds us that these are still a
minority opinion. It is good to see an affirmation of those who
practice integrity in an industry, despite the misdeeds of the few
which tend to grab the headlines.

There is very helpful discussion of death's place within life,
freeing us up for pre funeral planning (with all of the information
you will need on the subject), the role of rituals, options for
rituals and burial (including a very thought provoking discussion of
cremation) and the many issues that surround how we de. including
assisted suicide. We are reminded that funeral directors struggle with
many of the same issues.

We have a helpful discussion of grief, including complicated
mourning, and the role of the funeral home in providing decisive
leadership with aftercare.

Much of the rest of the book, with some helpful detours, focuses
on the present and the future of the funeral industry. For readers
outside of the industry in gives pause to reflect on the complexities
of this industry and how best to enter this world without being
strangled by those complexities. The
funeral industry is challenged to live in the world of managed care,
and also to rethink their values and significance for the generation
to come. This book will serve well, raise continued questions, foster
dialog and facilitate comfort and healing.

A Review from The World Pastoral Care Center by Richard Gilbert.

All materials reviewed through The World Pastoral Care Center can be
ordered directly through Theological Book Service (800.558.0580) in
the U.S., and, for Canadians and
residents in The United Kingdom, at Northern Spirit Press
(416.635.9797). Both are partners in The World Pastoral Care Center.

All of our reviews, both full reviews and the summary reviews
presented as Resources Hotline can be reprinted, reproduced and
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Center contact us at
1504 N. Campbell, Valparaiso, IN 463853454. Phone: 219.464.6183.

FAX:219.531.2230. Rgilbert@valpo.edu