num_pages: 384
description: Death is the last great taboo and is then thing none of us has first-hand knowledge of. In this book, Cedric Mims takes an extraordinary look at what happens when we the decomposition of the dead, funerary rites and rituals in art and religion, the uses and abuses of the dead, and the often astounding ways in which we dispose of them. Subjects - What is death; the biological breakdown of the body - The causes of death, including, suicide, euthanasia and homicide - The definition of death and near-death experiences - Disposal of corpses; burial and cremation from around the world - Embalming, mummification and freezing - Corpses can be useful; spare parts for surgery, the magic of DNA and the pathologist's skills -Whose body? Aspects of criminal investigation including the cause of death, fingerprinting and identifying a corpse from teeth, bones, and blood - Death, the afterlife from around the world to death and the prospects for immortality
language: English
title: When We Die: a Book About Death
titlecomplete: When We Die: a Book About Death
genres: Medicine, Anthropology, Death, Science, Nonfiction, Social, Sociology, History
ratings_count: 136
publisher: Constable Robinson